Although we don’t like to think too much about it, we live on a faultline so our city is seismically active and earthquakes are frequent. Even seemingly small rumbles can compromise your home’s plumbing. With this in mind, it’s worth performing a few checks that could reduce the chance of water damage and increase the chance of having a usable plumbing system after an earthquake.

We recommend doing the following checks at least annually as well as after any significant shake.

Earthquake Plumbing Checklist

• Pipework – check all visible pipes (including under the house and in the ceiling if accessible) for leaks/cracks.
• Hot water cylinder – are there any leaks?  Is it securely strapped?  Does it have an overflow tray?
• Water toby – do you know where it is and how to turn it off? Is it working properly? (See our post about water tobies here for more helpful information)

Emergency Water Supply

We have installed an emergency rainwater tank outside our own house. We wrote a post about it, which you can read here to learn more about how they work.   It’s reassuring to know we have 200 litres of water stored if we need it.

When using water from a tank to drink or brush your teeth, the usual precautions are recommended – either boil the water or add a few drops of household bleach. Rainwater tanks can be strapped to protect your extra water supply in earthquakes.

You won’t regret taking a little time to go through the checklist above. Attending to each point will reduce the plumbing issues you experience after an earthquake. There’s peace of mind knowing that you’ve done what you can to be prepared. If you spot something that you would like to have checked/fixed or you would like a rainwater tank installed at your place, please get in touch.  Craig would be very happy to help.