HSE Licensed Asbestos Water Tank Removal
Plumber or boiler fitter refused to touch the old tank in your loft? Our HSE licensed team carries out asbestos water tank removal across the South of England, taking out asbestos cement tanks, lids and lagging safely so your boiler upgrade, loft conversion or sale can go ahead. With over 30 years in the asbestos industry, we have removed hundreds of tanks like yours.
Call 0239 307 2182 or send us a photo for a free assessment.
Get In Touch With Our Asbestos Water Tank Removal Specialists
Tell us where the tank is and what work you have planned. Adding a photo of the tank and loft hatch is optional, but it lets our HSE licensed team tell you straight away what you are dealing with.
30+ Years Experience
24-Hour Response
HSE Licensed and Insured
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What To Do If You Think Your Water Tank Contains Asbestos
Leave it alone. Do not drill, cut, drain and break up the tank, or try to drag it through the loft hatch. An intact asbestos cement tank is low risk, because the asbestos fibres are bound into the cement. The risk comes when it is damaged, and asbestos dust is released into the loft and the rooms below.
If the tank is already cracked or broken, keep people out of the loft, close the hatch and do not sweep or vacuum the debris. Tell your plumber to stop work until it has been checked, then call us. We can confirm whether it is asbestos and give you a clear plan for safe removal.
How To Tell If Your Water Tank Contains Asbestos
Asbestos cement water tanks were fitted in UK homes until asbestos was banned in 1999, so any tank in a property built or refurbished before 2000 could contain it. They are most commonly found in lofts above bathrooms, airing cupboards and older commercial buildings.
Asbestos cement tanks are typically grey or off-white, with thick walls, a slightly rough surface and rounded corners. They are heavy, and often mistaken for concrete tanks. Many have a separate cement lid. Modern replacements are plastic, lighter and usually black, blue or green.
Visual identification alone cannot confirm asbestos. Staining, limescale and paint can disguise the surface, and some fibreglass tanks look similar from a distance. The only way to know for sure is a sample analysed by a UKAS accredited laboratory. Our surveyors take the sample under controlled conditions, so you do not need to touch the tank yourself.
Our HSE Licence And Accreditations
Meyer Southern holds HSE asbestos licence number 262606126, and we are fully insured. Our operatives are trained for both licensed and non-licensed asbestos removal, so one team can deal with the tank, the lid, the lagging and anything else in the loft in a single visit.
Where Else Asbestos Is
Found Around A Water Tank
The tank is rarely the only asbestos containing material in the loft. Lids were sometimes made from asbestos insulating board rather than cement, and tanks often sit on an insulating board platform. Pipe lagging, older loft insulation and nearby flues can also contain asbestos. If you have an old boiler flue running through the loft, see our asbestos flue removal page. We check all of this when we assess the tank, so nothing is missed.
Send Us A Photo And We Will Tell You What It Is
Not sure what you are looking at? Take a photo of the tank, the lid and the loft hatch from a safe position and send it to us by WhatsApp or the enquiry form. We will tell you whether it is likely to be asbestos cement, whether testing is needed and what removal would involve. It costs nothing and there is no obligation.
How Much Does Asbestos Water Tank Removal Cost
The cost of asbestos water tank removal depends on several factors. The size and condition of the tank matter, along with how easy the loft is to reach and whether the tank will fit through the loft hatch in one piece. Tanks in poor condition, or ones that have to be broken down in the loft, take longer because of the extra safety measures involved.
The price also depends on whether there is other asbestos to deal with. A cement tank on its own is usually non-licensed work. Lagging or an insulating board lid or platform is licensed, and adds time and controls. If the tank removal is part of a larger project, such as a full loft clear or a new heating system, we can plan it around your other trades.
Send us a photo or book a site visit and we will give you a free written quote. Disposal and the asbestos waste certificate are included, so there are no surprises later.
Hundreds Have Been Where You Are. Here's What They Say.
How We Remove An Asbestos Water Tank In 4 Simple Steps
From the first visit to a clean, empty loft.
Site Survey, Testing And Planning
We inspect the tank, the lid and the area around it, and take samples if needed to determine what each material is. We measure the loft hatch and access route, check for lagging or insulating board, and agree a date with you and your plumber. You get a written method statement and risk assessment before we start.
Safe Containment And Removal
Once the water is isolated and the tank drained, we cover nearby surfaces and wet the tank with a special liquid (a wetting agent) that keeps asbestos fibres down. Where the hatch allows, the tank is double wrapped in 1000-gauge polythene and lowered out whole. Where it does not, we use controlled breakage inside the wrap, so no fibres escape.
Certified Asbestos Water Tank Disposal
Every piece of the removed tank is sealed, labelled and loaded into a secure vehicle, then taken to a licensed disposal facility. You receive a hazardous waste consignment note as your asbestos waste certificate, showing exactly where it went.
Final Clearance And Cleaning
We clean the loft with a Class H vacuum and damp wipes, never by sweeping, and carry out a visual inspection before we leave. On licensed jobs, the area is signed off with a four-stage clearance air test. Your plumber can then fit the new tank or boiler.
Recent Asbestos Projects Across The UK
Recent jobs include a water tank removal in Newbury and the collection and disposal of an asbestos cement water tank in Chichester.
Asbestos Management Survey – Mount Stuart Hotel, Bournemouth
Asbestos Garage Roof Removal – Normandy Road, Portsmouth
Asbestos Removal Project – Salisbury, Wiltshire
Refurbishment Asbestos Survey at Dorchester Middle School, Dorset
Refurbishment Asbestos Survey at Barn House, East Sussex
Targeted Refurbishment Asbestos Survey at Spitfire House, Southampton
Do You Need The Tank Removed, Or Everything Around It?
Most jobs fall into one of three types, depending on what is in the loft.
Asbestos Water Tank Only Removal
The tank is asbestos cement and nothing around it contains asbestos. We drain, wrap and remove the tank, intact where possible, then clean the area. This is usually non-licensed work and often done in a few hours, ready for your plumber to fit a plastic replacement.
Asbestos Tank, Lid And Pipework Removal
The cement lid, old pipe sections or a second tank also need to come out. We remove them together, double wrapped, so the loft is cleared in one visit. It suits boiler upgrades where the whole old system is being stripped out.
Asbestos Water Tank With Lagging Or Insulating Board Removal
If the tank has asbestos pipe lagging or sits on an insulating board platform, those materials need a licensed contractor. We carry out the licensed work under our HSE licence, with an enclosure, air monitoring and a clearance certificate at the end.
Asbestos Water Tank Removal Across The UK
We remove asbestos water tanks across Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Kent, Essex and London, with teams working in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Our head office is in Havant, so homes and businesses across the South Coast are covered quickly. See our asbestos removal Hampshire page for the county where we are based.
If you are not sure what else in the property contains asbestos, start with an asbestos survey. It finds every asbestos containing material before a boiler upgrade, loft conversion or renovation, so nothing turns up halfway through.
Book Your Asbestos Water Tank Removal Before Work Starts
Book the tank removal before your plumber, boiler fitter or loft converter arrives, and the rest of the job runs to schedule. Send us a photo or call us, and we will confirm what it is and give you a free quote.
Contact Information
UK Head Office:
Meyer Southern/Surveys Ltd.
Langstone Gate,
Solent Road,
Havant,
PO9 1TR
Request An Asbestos Water Tank Removal Quote
Tell us the address, where the tank is and roughly how big the loft hatch is. Add a photo if you have one. We will come back the same day with the next steps and a quote.
Questions Our Customers Ask About Asbestos Water Tank Removal
Do I need an HSE licensed contractor to remove an asbestos water tank?
Not always. Asbestos cement water tanks are usually non-licensed work, but they still need trained operatives with the right equipment and must comply with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. If the tank has asbestos lagging or an insulating board lid or platform, those parts must be removed by a licensed contractor.
Meyer Southern holds HSE asbestos licence number 262606126, so we can deal with both in one visit, with the paperwork to prove it.
What does an asbestos water tank look like?
Asbestos cement tanks are typically grey or white, with thick walls, a rough surface and rounded corners. They are much heavier than plastic tanks and often have a cement lid. Some are painted or stained, which makes them harder to spot. If your property was built before 2000 and the tank is not plastic, treat it as asbestos until it is tested.
Why were asbestos cement water tanks used in older properties?
Asbestos cement was strong, cheap and water resistant, so asbestos cement water tanks were commonly fitted in older properties across the UK until the 1999 ban. Many were installed before the roof went on, which is why some will not fit through modern access hatches.
The key points for homeowners are simple. If the property was built before 2000, assume the water tank could contain asbestos fibres until a professional confirms otherwise. Expertise and the right equipment matter here, because sampling or moving it without knowledge of the material is where contamination starts. An asbestos survey or a single sample test gives you a clear answer and expert advice on what to do next.
Can the lid, pipework or platform contain asbestos as well?
Yes. Lids were made from asbestos cement or, less often, asbestos insulating board. Tanks often sit on boarding that can contain asbestos, and old pipe lagging in lofts frequently does. These are higher risk than the tank itself. Additional identification of these materials is part of our survey, so the quote covers everything.
Do I need an asbestos survey before removal?
For a single tank, testing a sample is usually enough. If the tank removal is part of a boiler upgrade, loft conversion or renovation, a refurbishment asbestos survey of the work area is the better option, because it finds anything else the work could disturb.
How long does it take to confirm whether it is asbestos?
The sample is taken in a short visit and sent to a UKAS accredited laboratory. Results usually come back within a few working days. If your plumber is booked, tell us the date and we will prioritise it.
