Water Tank Safety Precautions Guide

Most Aussie homes and businesses with water tanks still rely on mains water for some purposes (particularly for drinking water), while using tank water for things like watering their lawn and garden and washing their car - with around half of the average Aussie household’s water usage being outside anyway, it really makes a difference!

How much water you can collect depends on factors like the size of your tank, the size of your roof and how much rain falls on average in your area; check out Select Water Tanks for a great rainwater harvesting calculator, plus a fantastic range of slimline water tanks and round water tanks that are perfect for Aussie homes and businesses.So, what do you need to know about water tank safety precautions? Read on!

1. Don’t drink tank water unless it’s filtered.

Here in Australia, your mains water supply is ALL treated and thus safe for drinking - even though only a small fraction of your water actually needs to be treated (drinking water, bathing water, etc). While technically pure rainfall should be safe to drink, there are too many ways for it to get contaminated - bird droppings, industrial pollution, you name it. An effective whole-house filtration systemwill treat your water so that it’s safe to drink - but if you’re only using your tank water for purposes that don’t require treatment, you may wish to consider using mains water supply for drinking purposes, and relying on tank water for other purposes.

2. Tank water can be used on your veggie garden, too.

It’s not just for ornamentals - you can use tank water on your edibles, as long as you do it right! GardenMyths has a great explainer about this. Some tips they mention: careful to water the roots and not the part of the plant you’ll be eating (which is how you should be watering your plants anyway). Also, to treat your tank water with chlorine before using it on your veggie garden, just add one ounce of household unscented chlorine bleach to 55 gallons of water and wait 24 hours before use. Easy!

3. Only use a licensed plumber when connecting your water tank to your household plumbing.

This is probably a bit of a no-brainer, but if you’re feeling a bit too confident of your DIY skills, take a breath and a step back! Any plumbing work that involves connecting your water tank to your household plumbing - whether toilets, showers, washing machine, or drinking taps - needs to be done by someone with the licenses and qualifications to do so.

4. Never use harvested rainwater for your swimming pool - unless it’s filtered.

Any contaminants - for example, E-Coli - that get into your water tank can be harmful to your health. However, according to Health NSW, filtered clean rainwater collected in tanks can be safely used for pools provided it is introduced into the pool through either the balance tank or into the pool at night to allow sufficient time for treatment before bathers enter the pool. Find out more details here.

We hope that’s answered some of your questions about the safety precautions to take when you’re rainwater harvesting! When done correctly, rainwater harvesting via a water tank can be a healthy, safe and environmentally friendly way to reduce your mains water intake, do your bit for the planet and save on your water bills to boot.