Rainwater Tanks - An Alternative Water Supply Source

Over the upcoming years, it is postulated that the drying climate and an ever-increasing population of Australia will decrease the water supplies. In order to substantiate the increasing demand for water, rainwater tanks have the ability to provide a viable alternative source of water to the wide population. It reduces our dependence on mains water supplies, allows entire communities to be self-sufficient and is a cost-effective choice.

Ability to Save Water

In order to further investigate the benefits of rainwater tanks, the Urban Water Security Research Alliance conducted an extensive study. Prior to research, it was understood that rainwater tanks have the ability to save significant amounts of mains water. The uncertainty lay in quantifying the volume of water that can be saved due to rainwater tanks.

What the research revealed was startling, because it spoke about the considerable water saving volumes that can be possible with rainwater tanks. The average savings from mains water supplies approximated to be 58 kiloliters within every household. This is equivalent to 50 liters per one person, within the span of one day. In contrast, rainwater tanks allow 34 percentgreater savings of water per household, and per individual.

Collectively, the water saved from the 20 households under observation was enough to sustain them for over a month. Moreover, it was suggested that the roof area that is connected to the rainwater tank should be increased. It will allow to meet the minimum requirement of 100 meters, and a full maximization of water. Overall, the results from this research show that users need to start water portfolio planning, as it will allow a more efficient forecasting of future water savings.

Energy Efficiency with Rainwater Tanks

The research revealed that rainwater tanks consume much less energy as opposed to traditional water supplies. The rainwater tank systems are situated on rooftops and automatically gather water when it rains. Pipes that runs down the house allow water to travel from rainwater tanks inside the house, allowing it to be efficiently utilized. It means that one does not have to install a generator or energy source to run the tank system. Rather, it is one that runs by itself and automatically stops collecting water when its capacity is reached. This makes any chances of water wastage almost impossible and renders the overall system as highly efficient and cost-effective.

Alliance researchers conducted in-depth studies on how rainwater tanks save energy. They examined various factors that influence energy usage in order to analyze water flow characteristics. Their research allowed them to discover that the pumps used in rainwater tanks are efficient in a controlled model house setting. The pumps to be used are highly active for high-flow applications, such as cleaning car or watering the garden, but the energy efficiency was not as remarkable within low-flow applications, such as the washing machine or toilet flushing. However, the researchers concluded that these low-flow applications can also be made more efficient with further analysis because a lot of potential exists in enhancing the efficiency of the pump systems within rainwater tanks.

The alliance research study indicates that accurate selection of system components, right pump sizing and automatic switching devices could improve energy efficiency by up to 25% lessconsumption and less than 1.5 kWh per kilolitre of water.

Communal Rainwater Tank Systems

Another excellent way to utilize water is by installing communal rainwater tank systems that are shared by the members of a particular community. These systems rely on a solid water source, in order to ensure continued supply of water. The source is usually a top-up one, and can be used in order to address owner maintenance issues as well as various health risks. These communal systems can be easily utilized within medium density developments due to limiting space available for individual households. In this regard, communal tank systems are a better choice for rainwater harvesting and entire communities can thrive in a beneficial as well as economic manner.

Potential Health Risks

Alliance research conducted a research to find out whether any health risks associated with drinking water collected from rainwater tanks. From the samples collected, it was discovered that over 70 percent of rainwater tanks did not comply with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines due to the availability of E. coli. E.coli presence was due to small pathogens and animal species, such as rats, flying foxes and frogs. These can be reduced and eliminated by installing various filters into rainwater tanks, adding different chemicals to ensure any bacteria is killed. The owners of the tanks also need to maintain regular checks in order to ensure that the rainwater tank does not have any animal faecal matter. Aside from this, Alliance team members discovered no other health risks to be linked to using rainwater tanks.

Future Research Opportunities

Having conclusively proved that rainwater tanks act as a beneficial source of harvesting rainwater, it is important to underline key areas where research is needed. In this regard, the further research is required on the cost-effectiveness of rainwater tanks, managing potential health risks, maximizing main water savings, and exploring options for the longevity of water tanks infrastructure.

For more information find the complete research study at this URL: http://www.urbanwateralliance.org.au/publications/factsheets/UWSRA_Fact_Sheet_1.pdf or download here.