When it comes to buying your first water tank, there are two ways to find the perfect size water tanks for your wants and needs. It’s then up to you to decide which way of thinking is best for you.
#1
For some people, their thoughts are always – the bigger the water tank, the better. Your supplier will probably suggest to you, that you buy the biggest tank that will fit in the space you have available. Every home is different and every back yard really only has a set amount of space that you can designate for a water tank. The other thing to consider is – rain water doesn’t fall from the sky to a schedule, it can rain for a few days during any one month, or it can literally rain for a few weeks in a month. This means it you want to be able to catch – or harvest – as much water as you can while it IS raining, then yes, you should buy the biggest tank that suits your space and your budget.
#2
The second way to look at buying the right water tank for your needs is to work out how much water your catchment area can produce. If you have just 1mm of water falling in 1m2 of your catchment area you will harvest one litre of water. You need to work out your catchment area size and rainfall. An average suburban roof up to 200m2 in size receives 500mm of rain a year so you could be able to harvest 100,000 litres of rainwater. Of course, it depends on the size of your roof, newer homes are often bigger than older homes and can collect up to 350mm of water in just one month. To find out the exact amount of rainfall your area receives each year take a look at the Bureau of Meteorology website for a more detailed analysis.
Once you know the amount of rain that generally falls in your area, and the catchment size of your roof multiply the two numbers together – this will give you an estimate of how many litres of water you can catch in a year.
Knowing how much water you use helps too – depending on the reason for installing your tank – water for the garden and washing the car, or water for your home. On average, a person uses 250 litres of water a day.
There are also some other bits and pieces you will need that are dependent on your specific needs and location.
Select your location for the water tank – remember that the closer your tank is to a downpipe the easier the installation, it will also be a cheaper installation. Take a few minutes to walk around your home and note the locations of your downpipes, make sure a tank will look good in that area and is clear of pathways and windows.
Next, you will need to work out a tank style – are you after a *traditional* Australian look water tank – corrugated and round, or are you looking at a more slimline style tank that can sit at the side of your home neatly tucked away. Alternatively, there are tanks that can be placed under ground or even under a raised deck.
It’s important to know WHERE you want your water tank placed so you can choose the right colour, one that will complement its environment.
Before choosing your tank, make sure you know its width and height and measure the space/area where you want your tank to go to ensure it will fit without any problems.
Once you have decided which *way* of choosing the water tank works best for you and what your needs are, it’s then a matter of finding the right tank – style and colour that suits your needs. You may also be eligible for a rain water tank rebate; there are often capacity requirements that need to be met which can also affect your choices.
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