Spitting Into the Wind

Australia is one of the driest inhabited continents in the world, and its inhabitants some of the biggest consumers of water. With the future looking drier and hotter, water conservation is a priority for many people. With only 1 per cent of the water in the world fresh and available for use, it's hard to justify wasting it on things that don't require good drinking water, such as toilet flushing and garden irrigation.

By installing a rainwater tank and using rainwater for things that don't require fresh drinking water, or even recycling used water from baths, you can reduce the amount of fresh water wasted unnecessarily. With a rainwater tank, you'll:

• Collect most of the rain that falls onto your roof through gutters and downpipes straight into your tank
• Reduce your consumption of mains water and, in the long term, cut your water bill
• Lower your impact on the environment by reducing your demand on mains water as well as the amount of stormwater run-off into rivers and oceans
• "Harvest" water that tastes better and is generally less salty, which is better for appliances and plants
• New technology and innovations now enable experienced tradesmen to cater for all shapes and sizes of properties (the latest under-deck tanks that are designed to fit between standard piers, under verandahs or under the house are very popular). Make sure to check the tank meets Australian Standards for drinking water, taste, colour and UV stabilisation for rainwater storage; but this seems like an ideal solution for any homeowner wanting readily available water