Potable Water Tanks for Aircraft

Drinkable water on airplanes does not all come in plastic bottles.  Most planes are equipped with potable water tanks which supply drinkable water and water for the lavatories.  Water in this instance is housed in metal tanks which reside in special compartments between the inner and outer walls of the plane forward and aft, holding 20 or more gallons of water each.  Pipes run the water to the lavs. Twenty gallon tanks are suitable for a plane the size of the private aviation jet.

The manufacture of these potable water tanks involves many steps and great attention to detail, beginning with the  parts that need to be produced before welding and further assembly.

Jones Metal is a specialist in manufacturing these parts for tanks, using three and five axis lasers to cut and trim sheet metal, press brakes to bend it, and hydroform machines to shape it further. Some 27 parts make up a kit for a 20 gallon tank, which includes the top skin, the body, baffles to keep the tank stable, a U shaped cradle, and the bottom skin. The tank’s outlet holes must be perfectly positioned for connection to the piping system.

Tanks are made of stainless steel or titanium, with titanium being the lightest in weight. Very thin parts and very thick parts are required, ranging from .036 inches for the baffles to .250 inches for the cradle mounting bracket. Top skins can require two vacuum anneals, which Jones Metal provides in-house with NADCAP approval.

When a kit leaves Jones Metal, its parts have been check and double checked. Difficult tolerances will have been obtained, and the welders and other assemblers doing the next operations will be able to make the parts into a tank that performs as required.

To learn more about Jones Metal and our potable water tanks for aircraft, give us a call at 740-545-6381.