Make the most of the water given to us for free.

Every drop of water we capture from the sky is a drop less that needs to be taken from the rivers and lakes, treated with chemicals, and pumped into our homes. You can harvest rainwater from your roof and direct it into a tank for use on your garden, in your toilet, and even as drinking water.

How much water you collect will depend on your roof size, tank size and the rainfall in your region. Tankulator is a free online tool for figuring out the size tank that will work best for you. Depending on what tank material you choose, you can now sneak water tanks into all sorts of nooks and crannies; under a deck, down the side of your house, or even built into your concrete foundations.  

Stainless, concrete or plastic?

There are many factors to consider when deciding on what tank material to use, but affordability, water quality, embodied energy and ease of installation are some of the big ones. Here’s a quick breakdown to get you started:

Stainless Steel

The good: Long-lasting, 100% recyclable, extremely low toxicity, and you can get some money back if you ever decide to sell it.

The less-good: Expensive, high embodied energy, more difficult to install than plastic, limited shape and colour options.

Polyethylene plastic

The good: Cheap, easy to install and move, good range of sizes, colours and shapes available.

The less-good: Non-recyclable in Australia due to UV degradation, lasts approx. 25 years, plastic production is resource intensive.

Concrete

The good: Strong, durable, can be made on-site for specific requirements, can be used above or below ground and low toxicity.

The less-good: Heavy, expensive, high embodied energy and emissions, non-recyclable and difficult to install.