Rainwater Tanks – for Emergencies & General Purposes

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Be prepared! - Rainwater tank for emergency water storage.

Be prepared! – Rainwater tank for emergency water storage.

Craig has just installed a rainwater tank at the back of our house.  It will save us the tedious task of washing and filling numerous bottles of water each year for emergencies as we now have 200 litres of stored water.  It’ll be handy for watering the garden too and our boys will enjoy having water to use right by their play garden.

How do Rainwater Tanks Work?

Once the rainwater tank and supplied fittings are installed, rainwater travels off your roof, into your spouting, down your downpipe, through a diverter and into the tank.  Near the base of the tank is a hose tap through which water can be accessed.

Using the Rainwater Tank Supply for Emergency Drinking Water

When using water from the rainwater tank to drink, the usual precautions are recommended – either boil the water or add a few drops of household bleach.  Our tank holds 200l of water, giving us well over the advised 3 days’ worth of emergency water for each member of the family. The tanks can be strapped to protect your water supply in earthquakes.

Where Can I get a Rainwater Tank?

We got our rainwater tank from the Wellington City Council service centre for $105.  It came with the necessary fittings for a regular install.  Ours was a bit complicated and required Craig to use some extra plumbing know-how and fittings but most tanks should be straight-forward to install.  The WCC tanks come in two colours – light brown and dark green.  Some plumbing and building merchants sell them but we found it reassuring that these ones are endorsed by the council and they are well-priced.

Craig is keen to help others get prepared for emergencies by installing rainwater tanks.  For a usual, straight-forward install, he can get yours up-and-running within a couple of hours.

Be prepared,
Craig & Julie

Clean guttering: avoid blocked drains & protect your spouting

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Time to get the guttering cleaned out!

Now that Winter is here, the beautiful Autumn leaves have left their trees bare and…our guttering full of leaves.   If you’re not a plumber, you may not be aware of some of the problems these leaves can create.  If not cleared from guttering/spouting, they can cause:

  • guttering to overflow when it rains
  • deterioration & rusting of metal guttering (due to dampness caused by accumulated debris)
  • blocked downpipes and stormwater drain pipes (if the debris gets dislodged by heavy rain, for example, and travels through the system)
Is it time to get your guttering cleaned?

The most obvious signs that you may have a build-up of debris in your guttering or downpipes are:

  • guttering that overflows when it rains
  • grass or small plants growing in your guttering

By getting your guttering cleaned and your downpipes checked for blockages, you can protect your guttering to prolong its life.  You could also avoid blockages in your drain pipes, which can be difficult & expensive to clear.

If you have trees near your home that regularly deposit leaves in your gutters, you may want to consider having gutter guard installed to prevent blockages.

As Winter settles in, it’s a great time to get Craig to clean your guttering and check your downpipes for blockages.  Being over 6 foot tall and good with heights, he’s just the man for the job. He can also wipe your spouting clean while he’s up there to save you a job.   Or you may like him to install gutter guard so you won’t have to think about cleaning out your gutters again.

Keep dry,
Craig & Julie