Top tips to keeping your water tank healthy all year round

Rainwater tanks are low maintenance, but not maintenance-free!

To ensure your water supply remains fresh and uncontaminated throughout the year, it's essential to carry out some simple maintenance tasks.

Common Contaminants in Your Tank Water:

- Animal or Bird Faeces:Faecal matter from birds, possums, or other animals can introduce harmful germs like Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E.coli 0157 into your water supply, potentially causing serious illness.
- Roof Debris: Droppings from birds or possums, dead animals, and insects in the gutters or tank can contaminate your water.
- **Leaves and Debris:** Soil, leaves, and other debris can enter the tank, reducing water quality.
- Lead Flashing:Roofs with lead flashing may result in high lead levels in the collected water.
- Cracks or Holes: Partially buried tanks with cracks or holes can compromise the water quality.

Essential Maintenance Tips:

• Gutter Cleaning:  Start by keeping your gutters clean and clear to maintain good pH levels in your tank water. Cleaning out the gutters not only improves water quality but also enhances the efficiency of your tank. A recent study showed that 4% of contaminated households had faecal matter in the gutters, while 31% had gutters that were half or completely full.  Installing gutter meshing can help prevent leaves and dirt from entering your tank.

• Mozzie Mesh: Check every 3 months. Rainwater tanks can be breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other pests. A recent study found that while 91.1% of tanks had mosquito meshing, over 10% were in poor condition, allowing pests or vermin into the tank. Regularly check and maintain your mozzie mesh to keep your water pest-free.

• Water Quality Check: Every 6 months. If you use your rainwater for showers, drinking, or cooking, it’s crucial to monitor water quality. A comprehensive water test costs around $200 and can help ensure your water is safe to use.  

• Pump Maintenance: Every 6 months. The condition of pumps and outlets impacts water quality and the efficiency of water usage. Regular maintenance can prevent long-term damage. A report on New Zealand tank waters found that 5% of homes with pumps had non-functioning pumps, and 18% had leaky pipes.  Get in touch if you would like us to inspect and service your pump to ensure your pump is working effectively.

Water contamination can lead to serious illness, especially for vulnerable individuals like infants, the elderly, or those with weakened immune systems. We recommend having your tanks 'de-sludged' every two to three years to remove sediment and maintain a healthy water supply.

For your complete peace of mind, we offer a range of water purification systems from under bench options to U.V. water treatment systems that are cost effective.  U.V. systems destroy 99.99% of Harmful micro-organisms, including E-coli, Cryptosporidium, campylobacter and Giardia.