CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — When you think of septic tanks, your mind probably doesn’t connect a similarity between that and severe weather. Instead of using their tools for repairs, Berg Tanks is using them differently, all to keep people safe during tornadoes.

The idea came to the company’s owners after several personal experiences with severe weather. One of those times was in 2023 after seeing a funnel cloud right outside of their office on Leverett Road in Champaign.

“There was a tornado right over our neighbor’s building, we could see it out the window, but we didn’t have a shelter here besides a shower,” Jenna Hall, the office manager at Berg Tanks, described.

That’s when a light bulb went off for her and other team members at the septic company turned partial storm shelter service.

“There’s nobody around here that installs them for people’s safety, and we have all of the equipment to do it,” Justin Einck, one of the co-owners, said.

Crews come out, dig a hole and lower the shelter inside. Einck said the project typically takes about a day.

One type of shelter goes into the ground. Another one is designed as a “safe room” and typically goes in the garage. Both can withstand up to EF-5 tornadoes.

“The lid on top opens with gas shocks and you just pop it open, climb down inside, and there’s a latching mechanism that latches it shut,” the co-owner described.

To him and his family, this new service has a personal meaning too.

“We have family and friends in the Gifford area that were affected by the tornado when it went through that area and some of them didn’t have a place to go. This gives them an option,” Einck said.

They also have family members with a lakehouse in Mayfield, KY, which was damaged after a 2021 tornado outbreak.

Hall hopes spreading a message now during Severe Weather Safety Week, helps save lives later.

“A lot of people don’t even think about it until it’s too late,” she said. “Having a safe place gives you peace of mind. That was something we wanted to bring to our community.”

You can learn more about the different kinds of storm shelters Berg Tanks offers with this link.