Install water tanks to protect environment

[MotherBear]

Tanks to cheap water
Page 1 of 2 5:00AM Sunday June 24, 2007
By Jared Savage



Thousands of new homeowners are being forced to install water tanks to protect the environment - a move that could end up saving them thousands of dollars.

Local authorities are investigating ways to stop water being flushed down the drain needlessly, not to save ratepayers money, but to stop fragile streams being flooded.

However, the $3000 price tag for a water tank can be recouped in water bill savings in just three years - a great return, when water in Auckland costs four times as much as it does in Christchurch (see table). In the past three years, more than 2000 homes on Auckland's North Shore had had rain tanks installed, said Jan Heijs, infrastructure planner for North Shore City Council.

Proposed district plan changes mean thousands more will be needed for subdivisions across the booming city, although an Environment Court appeal has been lodged by a developer for a project in Long Bay.

While most Australian cities now required new homes to have a tank to save water, Heijs said the North Shore council's regulations were simply to save the fragile ecosystem.

More here .

[Bermy Girl]

Not a bad idea for all new builds. Here in Bermuda, we collect the rainwater on our roofs, which then drains into our watertanks under our houses. Works very well, our roofs are made of a variety of products, but they are all painted white with a lime wash solution that helps purify the water as it is collected. Instead of basements we have watertanks. When there is a bit of a drought going on you can buy water by the truck load to replenish your own supply. I know it sounds a bit odd, but it works quite well and our water doesn't taste, if you know what I mean...no chemicals!

[ShellBda]

That was my first thought - how will the water be purified or filtered? Will you need to add a filtration system to your taps? I would be concerned about drinking the water caught in the tank. As Bermy Girl said, our water is purified before it even enters the tank. In the old days, a Bermuda roof was made of limestone slate. Now, with building technology so advanced, they have prepared a white wash that effectively does the same thing.

We were taught the value of water at a young age and practice water conservation in many ways. Don't leave the tap running when you brush your teeth...

[MotherBear]

It's interesting to read about the white wash coating for your roofs. Don't think there's any such thing in NZ, but we have a filtration system on our supply that sifts out any bugs and unsavoury stuff. I think it's on the tank end of the supply rather than the tap end. Taffy might be able to fill you in a bit more on it as he installed it and technology isn't my forte.