6 Reasons To Install A Rainwater Tank
As the effects of climate change and pollution continue to emerge, the access to clean water continues to diminish, with some parts of the world already experiencing a water crisis. Some ways to tackle this problem are to find ways to use less water to reduce its demand or embrace techniques of harvesting rainwater. Most rainwater goes to waste because many people depend on the main supply or draw water from other resources.
With the right equipment, harvesting and reusing rainwater for your commercial and domestic needs is possible. One of the simplest ways of harvesting rainwater is by using water tanks. They come in various sizes and shapes, with some having a capacity of more than 30,000 litres.
Apart from consumption, there are other advantages of installing a rainwater tank on your premises; here are some of them:
- Minimize Erosion And Flooding
When it rains heavily, the water rapidly runs off into the ground before it reaches storm drains. This water can potentially cause environmental damage like soil erosion, equivalent to its volume and flow frequency. Moreover, rainwater flowing into the storm drains can overload the system and back up, which can cause floods that have been known to cause landslides, significant damage to infrastructure and buildings, and disrupt everyday life.
When you install a rainwater tank, you’ll be playing your part in conserving and sustaining the environment by helping mitigate the amount of rainwater run-off.
- To Promote A Healthy Garden
Rainwater does not contain many pollutants and is therefore suitable for the soil and plants. It’s rich in nitrogen and contains no chlorine, which is ideal because it kills microorganisms needed by the soil and plants. Rainwater also dissolves salt build-up in the ground and plants, enabling the plants to take up the required nutrition and grow healthier.
Installing a rainwater tank will ensure that your plants stay healthy throughout the year because there’s a reservoir to water your garden even in the dry seasons. You can connect a sprinkler to water your garden or even irrigation from your rainwater tank.
Reduce Your Water Bill
Rainwater is free. All you have to do is look for ways to harvest it for your commercial or domestic consumption. You can use rainwater harvested into water tanks for both inside and outside your home or office for everyday uses like:
- Doing laundry
- Washing of vehicles
- Cleaning and flushing of toilets
- A water source for swimming pools
- General cleaning of commercial buildings
All these activities require large amounts of water. Using the harvested rainwater will significantly reduce your dependence on the mains supply, which you can reserve for drinking and cooking.
It’s A Way To Hold The Run-Off
Protection of water quality is everyone’s responsibility. Most surfaces around residential and commercial buildings are impermeable; therefore, storm water drains into some waterways.
As it flows, it collects everything in its path, ending in rivers, streams, creeks, or other water surfaces. The pollutants like bacteria, metals, and pet and yard waste from many sources cumulatively end up polluting water surfaces.
Collecting rainwater in a tank is one way of managing and holding the run-off and keeping the water surfaces less polluted.
As A Back-Up Water Supply
You can wake up one morning and find a cut on your water supply for various reasons like maintenance, a damaged underground water pipe, or a shortage due to an extremely dry season. This is reason enough to install a rainwater tank to act as a backup water supply in case of such circumstances.
Your harvested rainwater can also solve your water problem in case your primary water source is contaminated. Just filter off what you need for drinking and cooking.
Rainwater Tastes Better
It’s no secret that rainwater is more satisfying and has an unmistakably distinct taste from the water from the mains supply. To enjoy drinking rainwater without negative consequences, you should use a water tank with a filtration system to harvest rainwater for drinking and cooking purposes. This will ensure that you’re getting quality drinking water.
Installing a rainwater tank on your premises will make you more self-sufficient. In addition, if you and others use rainwater more than the government-supplied one, it’ll remove some pressure from the main supply. Additionally, installing a water tank can add value to your property by increasing its appraisal value if you put it on the market.
Finally, if not for any other reason, install a rainwater tank to sustain the environment and be part of the bigger picture.