Rain Water Tanks

A rain water tank captures the rain from your roof and can be used inside the house for the washing machine or flushing the toilet, or you can just use the rain water on the garden. Systems can be very basic with just a hose attached to the the outdoor tank for watering the garden or can be fully automated pump systems that integrates with your mains water. The automated systems return to mains water if the tank gets low, you won’t even know you’re using the tank water. 1st Filter systems can be programmed to allow the initial rain to be diverted so as to get rid of any pollutants, you can then have a second filtration system added to filter out tanins (from leaf litter) which discolour the water -this will be neccessary if you have overhanging trees and want to use the water for running the washing machine, or flushing the toilet for that matter- no one want brown water in the toilet.

Your tank will be able to harvest water from two maybe three downpipes if its an under eaves tank. If you have an underground tank you may be able to harvest from more with additional piping running in. You can also have multiple tanks serviced by the one mains back up system.

Remember the golden rule- 1 square metre of roof with 1mil of rain = 1litre of water harvested

Perth residents really need a 3000-5000 litre tank to make it worthwhile to install (NSW and VIC have a minimum 2000 litre and QLD have a minimum 5000 litre and they all get a lot more rain than we do)

Steel or Poly

Poly / Polyethylene tanks

• Good for residential use (low to medium capacity)
• Lightweight
• Inexpensive
• Minimum surface preparation
• Can melt/burn in the case of bushfires
• Outlets most be specified before manufacture

Steel Tanks

• Best on a concrete pad or timber stand (check manufactuer instructions)
• Larger sizes available
• Range of colours
• Asthetically pleasing
• Will not warp or crack with UV exposure and harsh WA conditions
• Outlets can be added after manufacture if required

Position and Requirements

Think about the position of your tank

• The southern side of the house is always a good idea as laundries and bathrooms are often located there
• Away from Alfresco's and north facing windows. Ensure your tank won't obstruct windows
• Your tank will need a pad or paving to sit on- you can have a pad laid with the floor slab
• Mains power if you are having a pump
• Access to mains water if you are having a mains back up system
• A tap high enough to get a watering can under if the water is for the garden

Helpful Hints

You can also check out the WA Water Authority site for current rebates.