Green Living – The Benefits of Installing a Rain Water Tank

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the amount of Australian households sourcing water from a rain water tank has increased dramatically in the last few years. More and more families rely on rainwater as their main source of drinking water and because of this shift, the installation of rain water tanks has increased by up to 66 % in some areas.

As we know, rain water is one of the world’s greatest wasted resources and each average sized household without a rain water tank wastes tens of thousands of gallons of valuable liquid. People who have rain water tanks are smart, as they tap into one of nature’s biggest natural resources, which on top of all, is free.

If you are considering installing a rain water catchment system, you are doing both you and the environment a tremendous favour and, once the initial installation cost has been recuperated, you will be saving lots of money as well.

Solarflow, a Melbourne based company dedicated to providing outstanding excellence in all areas of water and energy conservation, believes that “A house without a water tank is like a car without brakes”. They are so right! Without water we would be lost. Just try to imagine how many times a day we grab for the water tap! Showering in the morning, making tea or coffee, the dog needs a drink, boiling potatoes, washing the car, watering the plants, flushing the toilet, the pond in the backyard, and the list keeps on growing. So why not capture the rain and ease our water bill as well as the overburdened ecology?

Rainwater tanks are no longer huge, round, ugly eye-sores. Today, they are manufactured in a variety of materials, aesthetically matching your urban and suburban dwelling and can be delivered in many attractive shapes, sizes and colours. Installing a rainwater tank alongside a building, in the garden, underground or under decking is simple.

• Rain falls from the sky onto the roof.
• The fluid flows from the roof into the gutters and downpipes. The required amount of downpipes will depend on the size of the rainwater tank.
• The flowing water will then pour into the tank through a mesh filter screen.
• The water will be stored until it is used.
• During extended rainfall, the tank may beome full. In that case, the overflow will feed back into an existing storm water system.

Once you have enough rainwater accumulated, the stored water can be ‘gravity fed’ from your tank onto the garden. Installing a pressure pump will get water to outdoor garden taps, or will allow toilet flushing indoors. Rainwater can also be used for doing laundry.

Rainwater tanks require very little maintenance. All you need to do is regularly clean the roof, gutters, filters and flush devices from insects, leaves, debris and overhanging tree branches. They are so efficient the government offers rebates and various community group grants for those consumers, who meet the relevant criteria and have their rainwater tank installed by a licensed plumber.

If you think about it, you will have to agree; what better and easier way is there to conserve water and, at the same time, save on your water bill, than to invest in a state-of-the-art rainwater tank?