Installing a ‘first flush’ or other diversion system will prevent this water from entering your water tank. This first flush water can be stored separately and used for non-drinking purposes such as garden watering.

First Flush Water Diversion

Fitting an appropriately sized First Flush Water Diverter is critical to achieve good quality water. Water Diverters improve water quality, reduce tank maintenance and protect pumps by preventing the first flush of water, which may contain contaminants from the roof, from entering the tank.

For a water diverter to work effectively, the contaminated water in the chamber must be sealed off. This prevents the water passing to the storage tank and ensure the water does not “syphon” off the contaminated water in the chamber. The simplest and surest way to do this is with a floating ball and seat.

A slow release valve ensures the chamber empties itself after rain and resets automatically. The diverted water need not be wasted water because the drain pipe from the diverter chamber can be fitted to a standard drip irrigation system.

To order your tank or a first flush systen contact us here.

It was common to see people watering their lawns in the evening, washing the car on the weekend and standing under the cool, running water on a hot day.

In recent years, the idea has been gradually spreading that water is a valuable resource. This is particularly evident during periods of drought, when water restrictions are in place.

One thing that has made a massive difference to the amount of water we have available – taking us back to the ‘good old days‘, if you like – is the installation of a water tank. If you haven’t really thought about putting one in, here are a few things which might just have you considering the idea.

What is a water tank?

Firstly, let’s take a step back and make sure we’re both thinking of the same thing. I’m simply referring to a rainwater tank (aka rain barrel), which is simply a large container that collects the water from your roof when it rains; allowing you to re-use that water at other times. Most tanks have a tap near the base, and a common use is to connect a hose and use the water to keep the garden happy.

Of course, there are a number of other things you can do with that water – ranging from looking after your pets to use in dishwashers and washing machines. And the ultimate use; you can drink it.

Types of water tanks

Round and slimline : Tanks come in a variety of shapes and sizes, designed to suit a great range of accommodation. For existing homes there are large, sturdy outdoor models (in a range of shapes, sizes and colours). These just need a solid, flat surface (a small concrete slab or a paved area) somewhere near the guttering. Redirect a downpipe, set up an overflow, and you’re good to go.

NB : An option may be to bury the tank beneath a garden or lawn. Although it takes a bit of work to set up, it’s completely hidden from view. Perfect.

Bladder : Newer homes often take advantage of the massive, inflatable bags which are designed for use under floors or decking. Although it’s possible to install these in existing homes, it’s much easier (and cheaper) to design the floor with the bags in mind.

If you’re living in an apartment or other type of shared accommodation, it’s worth talking to the person/people in charge of things there. Not only is it a sensible and environmentally-friendly approach; it’s often much, much cheaper.

Rainsaver gutter / tank : these tanks are hidden with a fairly typical guttering system, and can hold a surprising amount of water. A notable example is the RainSaver.

Under gravel, paths and gardens : I love the idea of these – particularly for new homes or during major landscaping work.

The tanks resemble milk crates (with a finer mesh, of course), and are buried beneath gardens, paths and driveways. Excess water works its way down to them, where it is stored for later re-use. A beautiful setup.

Atlantis are the best tanks of this type I’ve seen, and there are some excellent resources on their site looking at this approach.

Benefits of tanks

There are several reasons to consider setting up a water tank or two. They are :

Water tank supplier sydney brisbane melbourne

Cheaper : When it comes to saving money, this one’s definitely on the shortlist. After all, rainwater is cheaper than the stuff you pay to have piped in.

The only costs to offset that (and these are one-time-only) are the price of the tank itself [rebates are often available], and the installation.

NB : The installation isn’t particularly difficult. If you’re DIY-inclined you can probably do it yourself; otherwise it’s time to call the local plumber or guttering expert. The company which sold you the tank may even install it for you.

Add value to your property : Unsurprisingly, homes with reduced – or no – bills do somewhat better than their conventional counterparts (everything else being equal). Reducing or eliminating the need to buy water can increase the value of your home.

You’ll use less water : Like a lot of things, knowing you ‘can‘ is often enough. Once the tank is in place, you may find yourself using a little less water – simply because you know it’s there, if you need it.

What size tank do I need?

This depends on three main things :

1.The amount of water you’re using currently (see the first part in this series – How to Measure Your Water Usage for the answer to this)

2.The space you have available, and are allowed to use

3.Your financial situation (see the section on Rebates – these may make it a much more reasonable proposition)

Tanks range in size from just a few hundred litres to hundreds of thousands; so there’s bound to be something to suit your current needs. A family home may only require 10,000 litres or less to completely look after its water requirements. That’s for the garden, washing, cooking, drinking – everything.

To find out your own household water use, take a look at the first article in this series – How to Measure Your Water Usage.

How long will it take to fill the tank?

To get an idea of the time it’ll take to fill the tank, you’ll need to know two things :

• the rainfall in your area (an approximation is usually available online, or you can measure the actual rainfall on your property)

• the area your roof covers (although the material, pitch and installation of your roof all play a role, the area will give you a pretty good idea)

As a guide, 1 square metre of roof will catch about 1 litre of water for each mm of rainfall.

Replacing the household water supply

Although the simplest use for a water tank is to store rainwater to look after the garden on dry days, they can certainly be used to help with any water needs around the house.

The tank’s installer will give you an idea of cost here (if you installed it yourself, just call a local plumber).

Rebates

Although the price of tanks has fallen slightly in recent years, they still require a bit of an investment. One thing which may help is a government rebate.

As these vary from state to state, country to country; it’s worth taking a look to see what’s available in your area. To give you an idea though, here are several of the more common approaches :

In Australia : Rebates here also vary from state to state, with a few of the typical schemes outlined on the Rain Harvesting site.

NB : One of the easiest ways to find out what’s available locally is to ask the salesman at your local whitegoods store. If they sell washing machines and dishwashers, they’ll know where to look.

Regardless of whether you own your own home, share accommodation or rent; the benefits of using a water tank are well worth considering.

Modular water tanks are used for rain harvesting, you can line multiple tanks up side by side in order to expand your rainwater collection capacity. But the best news is the tanks are also designed to fit into very tight spots or areas where there are narrow space limitations. Modular water tanks are ideal for sidewalks, behind or along fences or beside the house.

The sturdy construction of the tanks along with the high quality material means you can expect many years of service. These tanks offer great value for the money.

Because of the huge range of shapes and colours, rain water tanks today can  produce athsetic feature walls or be incorporated into almost any area no matter how small.

Even people in home units and apartments can also make use of rain water tanks the same way. With a little forward thought and some of these new modular units people can have excess water on tap.

For more information use our contact form or call 1300 79 79 50 for a quote

Water is almost as precious as gold.

Without food a person can live for weeks, but without water you can expect to live only a few days.

LOOK HOW MUCH WATER CAN BE SAVED BY A RAINWATER TANK

Every 1mm of rain that falls on every square metre of roof area equals 1 litre of water in your tank.

To calculate how much water you can stop from washing down the drain simply multiply your roof area by the rainfall.

For example your house is 15 metres long and 13 metres wide - 15 x 13 = 195 square metres and you receive 1mm of water - 1mm x 195sq m = 195 litres of rainwater filling your tank.

During a good rainfall you may get 20mm of rain that will be 3,900 litres of water in your tank.

Installing a rain water tank can take a lot of pressure off our storage sytems.

How much water do you use?

• Toilet flush(single cistern) – 12L
• Toilet flush (dual cistern, 1/2 flush) – 3L
• Toilet flush (dual cistern, full flush) – 7L
• Washing machine (top) – 200L
• Washing machine (front) – 80L
• Dishwasher – 50L
• Bath – 100L
• Shower (8 min) – 120L
• Shower (8 min, water efficient showerhead) – 72L
• Brushing teeth (tap running) – 15L
• Brushing teeth (tap off) – 5L
• Washing hands – 5L
• Dripping tap – 2,000L/month
• Topping up a pool – 2000L
• Hosing driveway – 100L
• Washing car (with hose) – 200L
• Garden sprinkler (pop up) – 1000L/hour
• Garden dripper – 4L/hour

Average daily water usage for a family of three – 800L.  This can be reduced to 500L with some water saving strategies which we will look at in the next instalment.

To get a quote on your water tank contact us.