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Water Tanks

These days with water conservation on everyone’s mind, more people are considering the installation of water tanks either just to water the gardens or to provide water to their house.

Before purchasing your new tank you should consider what you will use the water for and how much you will need. From this you can determine the size of the tank. Also consider the area you have to place a tank. These days tanks come in a variety of shapes and sizes so finding one that is suitable for your needs shouldn't be too much trouble.  

Beware that you may need to adjust gutters and pipes to have the most amount of stormwater from your roof enter the tank. It’s not always just a case of putting in a tank and away you go. 

A first flush device should be installed on the tank particularly if you are plumbing the water into the house. This device diverts the first lot of rain fall on the roof to the drain rather than your tank. This way dirt from the roof is washed away at first rather than into your tank. After a certain period of time, the device shuts off and water is diverted to your tank. 

Have a licensed plumber connect the tank to your house, if you intend to use the water for domestic purposes. There are legal requirements as to how this needs to be done to ensure that tank water doesn’t enter the freshwater mains systems.

Note if you intend to install a tank larger than 10,000L Council approval will be required, however application fees for the approval are not required. 

Professional plumbing organisations such as Greenplumbers or Enviroplumbers provide courses for tradesmen on the installation and requirements for water tanks and can provide details of local plumbers. 

www.greenplumbers.com.au
www.enviroplumber.com.au 

The Rainwater Tank Rebate is part of the NSW Government's $310 million Climate Change Fund which is helping businesses, households and governments save energy and water. The rebate is available for the installation of any new rainwater storage system for residential properties in NSW. Grant funding is available to groups and individuals for projects that aim to reduce waste, encourage waste avoidance and recycling.

For full details visit the DECC's website at www.environment.nsw.gov.au/rebates or call 1300361967

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This page: http://wingecarribee.local-e.nsw.gov.au/sewerage/4975.html