How to sell used water storage tanks and water pumps in Colombia: hygiene, condition, and freight

Quick answer: a used water tank or pump sells when the listing states liters, material, previous use, date of the last cleaning, condition of the lid, and whether the pump starts when plugged in. The buyer compares it with a new tank from the hardware store and distrusts plastic whose contents are unknown. Whoever answers those questions before they are asked, sells first.

Parcero, I've seen listings that just say «water tank, good condition, write». Nobody replies, and with reason: 500 liters or 2000?, did it store water or something else?, does it fit through the patio door? This text is the sales checklist; for using the reserve day to day there is another guide, which I link below.

First define what you are selling

There are two different products and they should not be mixed in the same listing:

• Polyethylene tank for a home or farm (conical or cylindrical), for example 500, 1000 or 2000 liters. These capacities are examples of what circulates, not legal prices.
• IBC or isotank with metal cage, 1000 liters, which almost always had another industrial use before.

A conical household tank is not an IBC. If you mix them up, the buyer does not know what price to compare against or what risk they take on.

Water cuts: the context, without exaggeration

Don't sell with fear. On September 17, 2026 the Bogotá Mayor's Office reported that the city would not have rationing due to El Niño 2026 and that Chingaza was at 95% of its capacity that day (bogota.gov.co). That does not mean there are no cuts: the EAAB publishes suspensions for works and, in its schedule consulted on October 30, 2026, recommends filling the reserve tank before the cut, consuming stored water in containers within 24 hours, and requesting water tankers through Acualínea 116.

That's why a tank still has buyers: farms without continuous network, houses with works-related cuts, and anyone who wants a reserve. If yours worked as a household reserve, say so. For daily use of the tank and pump, see the water and energy backup guide; faucet filters, which do not replace cleaning the tank, are in this other one.

Hygiene: what you can say

The underlying rule is article 10 of Decree 1575 of 2007: the user must wash and disinfect drinking water storage tanks at least every six months (Función Pública). In the listing, put the date of the last cleaning if you have it. If you don't have it, don't invent a certificate.

Here I don't give chlorine doses or contact times: there is no national recipe and improvising one is a bad idea. Also don't confuse the 0.3 to 2.0 mg/L range of free residual chlorine from Resolution 2115 of 2007, article 9: it is a parameter for water in the distribution network, not an instruction for washing an empty tank.

What does matter to the buyer:

• Declared previous use: water, something else, or unknown.
• Photos of the interior, the bottom, the lid and any cracks or sun-dried areas.
• Smell when opened, no embellishment.

Careful with the IBC: «fit for drinking water» on a shop listing is a commercial claim, not a laboratory test. If the previous use was fuel, pesticide, chemical or unknown, don't offer it for drinking. Say so clearly and sell it for irrigation or non-potable uses.

The pump: details that close the sale

Include what the nameplate says: voltage (110 or 220 V), power in HP or watts, and whether it is electric or gasoline. Clarify where it draws water from (the tank, for example) and which hoses and accessories are included. Offer an on-site test: plug it in in front of the buyer and see that it starts and pushes water.

On the RETIE: according to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, electric pumps fall within its scope, and the supplier declaration only covers very low voltage and power equipment (alternating current of 25 V or less and less than 375 W, or direct current of 50 V or less and 1,000 W or less). A household pump of 110 or 220 V does not fall under that exception (minenergia.gov.co). My advice: don't write «certified» if you don't have a document for that equipment. Write what it is and what can be proven.

Price: no single rate, with dated references

There is no official secondhand price. The honest approach is to anchor against the new one and explain your discounts. On October 30, 2026, the Homecenter online storefront showed new tanks, for example Eternit 500 L at $291,900 and 1000 L at $541,900, and a new 1000 L isotank at $1,677,900. These are that seller's prices on that day and they change.

For used 1000 L IBCs, two listings asked $450,000 (Canecas y Tanques, Carrera 64C #72-217, Medellín) and 595,000 COP (Aproenvases, Av. Boyacá #39-10 Sur, Carvajal neighborhood). These are asking prices from those businesses, not the farm tank market or an average.

Your asking price should go down if there are cracks, a broken lid, years in the sun, or chemical or unknown use, and go up if you include the pump and accessories. Always verify the current price before publishing.

Freight: the load weighs less than it looks

An empty tank is light but huge. Before closing, agree in writing: who brings it down from the terrace, who loads it, whether there are stairs, and who pays for the trip. I don't give haulage figures because they depend on each case; ask for a quote. For a bulky construction item, the logic is similar to that of used scaffolding and mixers. And if the buyer is in the city, check how delivery works in this Bogotá guide, although a 1000 L tank is not carried in a pinch.

A calendar detail: Monday, November 2, 2026 is a holiday bridge. If pickup falls on that weekend and it rains, close the lid and don't leave the equipment exposed to the weather waiting for the buyer; arrange the haulage on a dry day.

If you are also selling the farm or house where the tank was, you can show it separately in the farms category; that is where properties are published, not tanks.

Fields your listing should have

• Type: polyethylene tank or IBC, and capacity in liters.
• Previous use and date of last cleaning, if known.
• Condition of lid, cracks and years outdoors.
• Pump: voltage, power, included accessories and on-site test.
• Dimensions of the load and whether it fits through the door.
• Who loads and who pays the freight.
• Payment on delivery, with the empty tank and the pump plugged in in view; don't advance the full amount over WhatsApp.

If you want to compare channels, in where to sell used items without commission the options are listed (Facebook Marketplace, MercadoLibre, WhatsApp groups) with their pros and cons.

Frequently asked questions

❓ Is there water rationing in Bogotá right now?

On September 17, 2026 the Mayor's Office said there would be no rationing due to El Niño. Even so, there are works-related cuts published by the EAAB, so it's worth saying in the listing whether the tank served as a reserve. (verify with the official source)

❓ How often should a drinking water tank be cleaned?

Decree 1575 of 2007, article 10, requires washing and disinfecting it at least every six months. Publish the date of the last cleaning if you have it and don't invent a certificate. (verify with the official source)

❓ How much should I ask for a used 1000-liter tank?

There is no official secondhand price. On October 30, 2026 a new 1000 L tank at Homecenter was in the hundreds of thousands of pesos. Lower your asking price if there are cracks, a broken lid or chemical use, and verify the current price. (verify with the official source)

❓ Can I sell for drinking an isotank that held chemicals?

Don't offer it for drinking water if the previous use was chemical or fuel, or if you don't know. «Fit for drinking water» in a shop doesn't replace declaring the tank's real history. (verify with the official source)

❓ Does a used pump have to say «RETIE certified»?

Don't advertise it as certified if the document isn't for that equipment. Electric pumps are covered by the RETIE and the exception applies only to very low voltages and powers; show volts, power and an on-site test. (verify with the official source)

❓ How do I sell safely and avoid scams?

Collect on delivery, with the empty tank and the pump plugged in in front of the buyer. Don't advance or ask for the full amount over WhatsApp, and put in writing who loads and who pays the trip. (verify with the official source)

❓ Where can I publish my used tank or pump?

You can use Facebook Marketplace, MercadoLibre, WhatsApp groups or a free classifieds site like Colombia Move. What matters is that the listing includes liters, photos of the interior, previous use and the city where the equipment is.