The Sediment Tank is designed specifically for the research conducted by Dr. Jon Peterson, of the Hope College Geology Department, pertaining to groundwater remediation. The tank is an improvement upon an existing design that has proved to be functional, but deficient in several design aspects.

The function of the Sediment Tank is to contain sediment, water and soil, within a transparent tank. The contained sediment must be isolated from the laboratory environment, airtight and watertight, so that the remediation process can be examined without interference. Aqueous samples must be drawn easily from the tank during experimentation. The tank must be able to be disassembled easily so that used sediment can be unloaded after experimentation and the tank can be cleaned of residual grime that impairs transparency.

The tank is manufactured around a square aluminum frame that provides support and rigidity to the entire structure. Plexiglas faces complete the tank body and allow for visualization during experimentation. 0-rings placed in grooves milled directly into the aluminum frame provide a watertight seal, while a removable gasket cover on the top of the aluminum frame assures an airtight seal. The Plexiglas faces are protected by an aluminum washer to provide extra durability over repeated uses. Holes drilled into the front Plexiglas face, backed by septa material, allow for aqueous sample acquisition during experimentation. The entire structure can be disassembled in 15 minutes using only a screwdriver.

The final tank design can be put into immediate use as an improvement upon the original tank design. Durability has been enhanced and experimentation has been made easier and more reliable by the completion of the refined Sediment Tank.