Rainwater Tanks
June 4, 2009 by yoursydneyplumber
Filed under Rainwater Tanks
Although the practice of rain water harvesting is common to many cultures and regions across the world, this concept has arrived in the west only recently. But, as more and more people began to realise the immense benefits of harvesting rainwater, the industry began to take note and today we have a wide choice in efficient rainwater tanks.
Rainwater tanks are also commonly known as ‘rain barrels’ to North Americans and as ‘water butt’ to citizens of the UK. These rainwater tanks are essentially devices to collect and preserve rain water and make it available for use.
The main purpose of the rainwater tanks is to complement the main water supply and reduce utility bills. Water is a freely available commodity in the world and if we can access it ourselves, we need not pay huge utility bills for its use. But, economic savings is just one aspect of rainwater harvesting. The other is environment consciousness. By collecting and utilising rain water, we reduce the pressure of constant fresh water supply on existing and quickly depleting resources.
Water collected in rainwater tanks is usually used for gardening, washing clothes in the washing machine, washing vehicles, flushing toilets, etc. All these activities need a large supply of water, but importantly, it doesn’t need to be of drinking quality. So, rainwater that is harvested in rainwater tanks is perfectly suited for purposes like these.
However, in many cases, water stored in rainwater tanks can also be made fit for drinking. The water harvested from rain does not contain any added chemicals like chlorine of course, but it does contain pollutants, dirt, dust, etc. In an industrial area, water collected in rainwater tanks may even get contaminated with industrial waste products present in the air and may not be fit for drinking. However, proper filtration should take care of whatever sedimentation there may be in the water.
Rainwater tanks are made from various materials like plastic, stainless steel, concrete, galvanized steel and fiberglass. It is important for the material to be rust resistant since it will be in constant contact with water. It also needs to be opaque. This is to prevent algae from germinating inside the tank.
Rainwater tanks are usually set on the rooftop, but they may also be placed on patios, driveways, backyards, etc. Rainwater tanks are available in a variety of sizes.
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