Water Tanks

Please browse through the different types of water tanks to find which is the right one to suit your needs.

CHOOSING A RAINWATER TANK
When choosing the right size and make of Raintwater Tank for your needs, you need to consider:

Rainfall in your area
Roof area available
How you plan to use the rainwater
The number of people living in your house
Water usage

Click here to work out the rainfall on your roof.

WATER USAGE
Water usage varies from one household to another. An important factor is the number of people in the household. Typical Queensland figures are as follows, for inside the home.

1 person – 170 litres/day
4 People – 248,200 litres per year

WATER QUALITY

Many things can affect water quality in tanks

Atmospheric pollution
Bird and possum droppings
Roof materials and paints
Trapped insects and small animals
Rotten leaves
Dust on roofs
Installation

TANK MAINTENANCE
Tanks are designed to filter leaf litter and prevent entry by insects and small creatures like lizards and frogs. All tanks need regular maintenance to work properly.

Tank maintenance is the key to water quality. It is important to:

Keep gutters and roof clear of leaves and other material, more frequent checks are needed if there are overhanging trees.
Clean inlet strainers whenever necessary.
Make sure the inlet strainers, mosquito proofing and lids are in good repair.
Lids should be tight fitting.

ROOFING MATERIALS, PAINTS AND ENVIROMENTAL ASPECTS
Tanks should not be used to collect water from roofing where lead based paints or tar-based coatings have been used.

Run-off collected from roofs with lead sources (eg flashing) or through some types of PVC pipes that
might contain lead.
The first few run-offs from new cement and metal tiled roofs should be discarded. This will generally
happen in the building process.
Run-off collected in some urban and industrial areas will contain pollutants and may not be suitable for drinking water.
Run-off collected in some agricultural areas may be contaminated with agricultural pesticides and residues, and may not be suitable for drinking.

When using a water storage tank you have to maintain vigilance in monitoring water quality. This required only a small amount of your time if done regularly. Rainwater tanks offer homeowners the chance to reduce water usage and protect our environment for the future.

TANK STANDS
There are a number of types of Water Tank Stands:

Concrete Slab
Sand ring filled with crusher dust
Crusher dust base with support edging
Concrete tank stand
Precast concrete slabs
Timber tank stand
Steel tank stand
Sand should never be used as a tank support

Any tank stand has to be able to support the weight of the tank and water.

Water weighs:

1 litre = 1 kilogram eg. 1000 kilograms = 1 tonne
1 gallon = 10 lbs eg. 2240 lbs = 1 ton
7000 gals (31500) litres = 31500 kilograms or 31 tons
5000 gals (22500) litres = 22500 kilograms or 22.2 tons
1140 gals (5100) litres = 4500 kilograms or 5 ton

We recommend that you check with your local authority before proceeding with a elevated stand as regulations differ between areas.

TANK INSTALLATION
The life of a tank is dependant upon many factors and a little care in the choice of the location of the tank can often mean a difference of many years. Whenever possible tanks should be installed in a cool position, preferably on the southern side of a building, away from trees from which leaves might clog the strainer or contaminate the water. Direct sunlight falling on a tank for long periods on a hot day can create temperature differentials in the water. This can affect the performance of the tanks. All over flow water must be piped away from the tank base regardless of the tank type.