Guides · Water Tanks

How to Install a JoJo Tank

Whether you're a builder specifying rainwater harvesting or a homeowner adding backup storage, a JoJo tank installation lives or dies on the base. This is the process we recommend to customers across Francistown and Letlhakane.

1. Prepare a level base

JoJo tanks must sit on a fully supported, level base. Options that work in Botswana conditions:

• A 100mm reinforced concrete slab, at least 150mm wider than the tank diameter on all sides.
• Interlocking pavers on a well-compacted sand bed for smaller tanks (up to 2,500L).
• A JoJo tank stand for gravity-fed pressure — bolt it to concrete footings.

Never place a full tank directly on unprepared ground or on bricks under the rim only — the base must be fully supported or the tank will crack.

2. Position the tank

Rotate the tank so the outlet faces your plumbing run and the overflow points away from the building. Leave working space around the tank for future maintenance and gutter cleaning.

3. Connect the gutters and inlet

Feed roof water into the top inlet through a leaf filter. A first-flush diverter is worth the spend — it dumps the dirtiest initial runoff and keeps sediment out of the tank. Seal all gutter joints so you don't lose water before it reaches the tank.

4. Fit the outlet and overflow

Fit the outlet tap with a brass or PVC bulkhead, then route the overflow through a large-diameter pipe (equal to or larger than the inlet) to a soakaway or storm drain. Overflow that dumps against the base will erode it and undermine the tank.

5. Test, commission and maintain

Fill the tank slowly with clean water and check every joint. Once you're leak-free, cover any openings to keep mosquitoes out. Rinse the tank annually and clean the leaf filter every rainy season.