A PORTABLE water tank that can be erected, filled, used, then taken somewhere else has been released by a Melbourne inventor.

The Novatank is a 5000-litre collapsible tank which can be efficiently stacked and easily transported in its protective plastic "shell", then manoeuvred into almost any location.

It combines the ease of access of a pillow tank with the robustness of a large solid tank.

The product, believed by its backers to be a "world first", comes from design engineer John Petschel, who has worked in product design and development since 1986.

The Novatank can fully collapse into a flat, portable shell for transport to remote and regional areas.

Once on site, it can be erected into a fully functioning water tank, designed to handle the demands of industrial and domestic applications.

It is suited to hilly areas, narrow spaces, in bushland, behind sheds or garages, for construction projects or outdoor events and for tree and garden watering.

John said it could be raised easily in minutes by two people.

He said the tank used a thermoplastic fabric liner and galvanised steel frame and could be carried in certain light vehicles or stacked for bulk transportation.

"The original motivation for the idea was that we were looking for a water tank (not a pillow tank) we could fit through a door under a house," he said.

"We worked for more than three years to engineer the tank before we entered production.

"So far, we have started selling the tanks in small numbers to Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and to some customers in Victoria.

John said buyers had included businesses involved with mining, agriculture and horticulture, as well as fire authorities and defence needs.

"We have also started exporting, mainly to industries such as mining, events, construction and hire companies," he said.

John said the Novatank was also proving useful for domestic users who couldn't get traditional water tanks into places with difficult access.

"We have even started talking with organisations involved in providing aid to disaster areas around the world," he said.

Novatank sales are being handled by Greenspan International, a Victorian company focused on water and other "green" products.

  • For more details, phone (03) 9420 7222.