Confirm the tank type and the capacity the fire protection design expects, then compare the tank drawings with the civil site plan, foundation design, suction and fill piping, fire pump room, heating and supervision, and alarm connections. AI can flag document conflicts; the tank designer and engineers confirm compliance.
What does NFPA 22 cover?
NFPA 22 is the Standard for Water Tanks for Private Fire Protection. NFPA describes it as providing requirements for the design, construction, installation, and maintenance of tanks and accessory equipment that supply water for private fire protection.
NFPA’s official NFPA 22 page identifies the 2023 edition as current when checked on October 2, 2026. Confirm the edition, local amendments, and project scope that actually govern the work. The publisher’s newest edition does not establish local adoption.
The tank’s required capacity and supply come from the fire protection design, such as the NFPA 13 sprinkler design, and the pump it feeds follows the NFPA 20 fire pump guide. Record which document states the required volume and which states the tank’s nominal size, and compare the two rather than assuming they match.
Collect every discipline that touches the tank
Bring the tank shop or design drawings, the civil site plan and grading, the geotechnical report and foundation drawings, the fire pump room plans, suction and fill piping, the fire service main drawings, heating and freeze protection details, level and temperature supervision, and the fire alarm interface.
Confirm that the tank’s capacity, dimensions, and connection locations in the specifications match the drawings. Tank details are often delegated to a supplier, so record which elements are still to come in a submittal.
Connect the tank to the site and the system
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Fire protection design basis, tank specification, tank drawings | Reconcile the volume the design requires with the tank shown and specified. |
| Location and access | Civil site plan, architectural site plan, landscape | Match the tank position, access, and clearances across site sheets. |
| Foundation | Geotechnical report, foundation drawings, tank base details | Confirm the foundation drawn matches the tank type and size now specified. |
| Suction and fill | Fire pump room plan, piping drawings, civil utilities | Trace the suction and fill connections from the tank to the pump and supply. |
| Freeze protection | Heating details, electrical drawings, specifications | Check that any heater shown is powered and supervised on the other drawings. |
| Supervision | Level and temperature devices, fire alarm drawings | Confirm each supervisory signal appears in the alarm package. |
Follow underground piping into the NFPA 24 private fire service main guide, and the tank’s ongoing inspection into the NFPA 25 guide. The water tank support case study shows how support questions surface in a real review.
Example: a larger tank on an earlier foundation
Hypothetical example. The current tank specification calls for a larger tank after the sprinkler design changed, while the foundation drawings still show the slab sized for the earlier tank. The civil site plan shows the earlier footprint.
The tank specification now calls for a larger tank than the foundation drawings and civil site plan show. Please confirm the tank size and coordinate the foundation and site layout.
The structural and civil engineers revise their drawings for the specified tank, or the fire protection engineer confirms the earlier size. Whether the foundation is adequate is the structural engineer’s decision.
Review fire water tank coordination with Groundbook
Upload the current project PDFs and relevant specifications to Groundbook. Identify the governing issues and add the applicable NFPA 22 reference from a copy you are licensed to use, where the license permits uploading it. State the edition, amendments, review area, and known exclusions in your instructions.
Compare the fire water tank drawings and specifications with the civil site plan, foundation drawings, fire pump and piping drawings, heating details, and fire alarm documents. Flag conflicting size, location, connections, and supervision. Use the supplied NFPA 22 reference where applicable and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets and sections behind it. Keep supplier submittal items separate from conflicts between design documents.
Document review does not size the tank, design its foundation, or approve the installation. Those remain with the qualified designers and the authority having jurisdiction.