The final two pieces of supporting documentation I want to describe are the tank costings and the engineer’s report.

The Department’s online application system will include a storage tank Excel sheet to allow a farmer to calculate the storage capacity and cost of an underground tank. A printout of the calculations, or an electronic copy, must be submitted as part of the application.

An engineer’s report is required if you proposed to build over an existing underground tank or add spine walls to an existing tank.

If you propose to construct a new winter house over an existing concrete slurry/effluent tank, a report must be submitted by a chartered engineer certifying that the tank is structurally sound, capable of supporting the superstructure, watertight and capable of continuous use for the intended purpose for a minimum of 20 years.

A report is not needed for a tank which was grant-aided under the Farm Waste Management scheme (FWM) or Farm Improvement Scheme (FIS) after 2005. Where a spine wall is to be installed in an existing tank, an engineer’s report for its design must always be included.