In September 2021 a veld fire broke out in the Free State. According to an article by SABC News, more than 25 000 hectares of agricultural land have been destroyed due to veld fires.

One of the affected farmers shared his story: “I have lost about 1 000 hectares of my 2 100 hectare farm, which is about 50% of the grazing. It is bad because grazing is more important for cattle farmers, as we are dependent on grazing. But that is part of life. We must be positive in going forward. At least I still have some grazing left.”

The raging veld fires in Ventersburg, Virginia, and some parts of Winburg and Bloemfontein gutted about 40 farms.

The fact is that every farmer is acutely aware of the threat posed to his livelihood by natural disasters, and sometimes even unnatural occurring disasters. Veld fires pose an ever-present threat, and as it can be seen, once the fires rage out of control, the damage caused is almost incalculable. The human cost in terms of loss of livelihood, generations old businesses being lost, and the trauma individuals go through when such a raging fires occur, cannot be expressed in merely statistical terms.

Understanding the importance of preventative measures to be taken by farmers, as well as commercial and industrial enterprises, Aquadam has developed a Fire Tank which can be easily installed, is cost-effective compared to traditional concrete dams, and is designed to a safety specification which ensures that water is available quickly, and without fuss, whenever the need arises. We are in the business of saving water, first and foremost, however we understand that there are additional applications for which our tanks are well-suited.

The Zincalume steel used as the shell of the Aquadam Fire Tank is an incredibly durable product, which offers a superior level of protection against oxidation when compared to raw and untreated steel. Zinc, in fact, corrodes at about 1/30th the rate of untreated steel, and is in effect designed to last a lifetime.

With such a long-projected life expectancy, we aim to put the minds of our farmers at ease, knowing that should disaster strike, they have a shield against the worst possible outcomes. Available sizes in terms of volume range from 13 thousand to 2,05 million litres.

For more information, contact Aquadam on 086-100-1010, send an e-mail to sales@aquadam.co.za or visit their website on www.aquadam.co.za.