So how many litres of rainwater storage do you have?

[OneOfOne (Trevor)]

It seems these days that unless you have a rainwater tank, or two, you will be left out of the conversations at any BBQ! Almost everyone seems to be doing their bit...I would love to know just how many megalitres of rainwater are currently stored in suburban houses.

Well, we have a 2200 slimline at the front corner of the house. The day I installed it, I didn't bother to plumb in the overflow as it was getting late and I figured I would be right until the next weekend...at 5am I awoke to the sound of water pouring onto concrete. When I went outside, the tank was already full and pouring out....I decided I had better do the overflow for sure the next weekend. Since then, we could have filled it 5 times over. I was thinking of getting another couple of thousand litres and dropping it into the gap between the side fence and the water heater, about 1.5m diameter gap. I could then plumb the bottom drains together so the two will work in tandem.

We also have a 2500 at the back of the garage. Initially we bought a 3800 but when we finally managed to get it into position, it was higher than the gutters..... Fortunately, the supplier swapped it for a low profile one. Unfortunately, we are still waiting for it to fill up as the garage area is much smaller than the house, but it is only a couple of hundred mils off the top now...and they are expecting a lot more rain today.

I have looked at the water when filling the watering can...but I can't quite be tempted enough to actually drink it...I remember the mud I cleaned out of the gutters after I put the tank in.

So if you live in the 'burbs and so don't HAVE TO store water, have you been bitten by the rainwater bug?

[erick (Eric)]

None in the house I own and none in the little unit I rent.

But when we vacate these and build our new house (eventually), I'll have substantial underground storage installed.

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

Originally Posted by erick

None in the house I own and none in the little unit I rent.

But when we vacate these and build our new house (eventually), I'll have substantial underground storage installed.

I also rent as well, but was considering the purchace of a transportable version. http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/p/1000...ainwater-tank/

But at the same was wondering whether it was easy to purchace a normal tank and be able to easily remove and re-install it.

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by OneOfOne

So if you live in the 'burbs and so don't HAVE TO store water, have you been bitten by the rainwater bug?

Don't quite live in the burbs, but the catchment on our bush block is a 75 square metre tarp. We have filled our 23000 lt tank X3 last year. We're going to build this year and add another 50000 lt capacity to that and double the catchment. Currently, all that water is going to a rainforest restoration project on the block. 200+ manferns in a gully and a rapidly developing understorey. The block is on the side of a mountain 30km behind Hobart. Pitch black skies.... Dome goes up at the same time the house does

[gmbfilter (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by OneOfOne

I have looked at the water when filling the watering can...but I can't quite be tempted enough to actually drink it...I remember the mud I cleaned out of the gutters after I put the tank in.

Go try,
Just once, you'll be hooked!

[Baddad (Marty)]

Hi All,
We're on acerage here and have town water, plus two rainwater tanks. 23,000 and 6,000 litres.

I have made some rough measurements: 10mm of rain puts 2,300 litres of water in the big one and 750 Ltrs. in the smaller tank.

The smaller tank collects off the shed. Not all of the water off the house flows into the large tank. Approx. 40% goes to a gravel pit.

Six taps connected to a pump provides water distribution on the two acres.
40 fruit trees do quite well on the supply. Ranging from nuts to mangoes, we have something in harvest all year round.

When you look at the figures 1 mm of rain is 1 Ltr over 1 sq mtr. The first mm needs to wet the surface before runoff is collected.

Hi Trevor,
A house 20x15 mtrs has a roof area of 300 sqmtrs. That means about 300 Ltrs per mm of rain once runoff starts. One decent shower of 6-10 mm would fill your tank.

Cheers Marty

[Lester]

Comming from a farm, I have been bourght up to catch rainwater, drink it and run the whole house on it. Hot water systems last a lot longer on rain water than mains. The main house on the farm was built in 1963 and still has the original hot water system, due to running 100% on rain water. Just another benefit from catching rainwater.

My present house just out of city has rain water storage of 22,000 and 5,600 gallon tanks; x 4.5 = 124,200 litres.

I am sure those that have been use to rain water, would think it a backward step to be 100% dependant on the mains.

All the best.

[mojo (Terry)]

Do farmers pay rates on the water they collect in their dams on their property? Or am I thinking of something else?

[Ric]

Hi Trevor, we have an acreage 40km out of Canberra so we rely on rainwater for everything and collect every drop from the house and shed into a 90,000 litre concrete tank.

Hi Terry, there are no rates applied to water falling from the sky that is collected. There is a charge for water taken from major rivers that might be what your thinking about.

[Jeffkop (Jeff)]

We have storage of 65800 and 4500 litres.
Each mm in the big tank = 16 litres of water.
They all got a good top up yesterday evening as well.

[Louwai (Bryan)]

I don't have any YET!!!!!
But Mum & Dad are making up for me.
On a small suburban block at Bribie Is. they have storage capacity of 39,000L
For the last 12mths they have been disconnected from the council supply, although they are still charged Water Access fees.

[gmbfilter (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by mojo

Do farmers pay rates on the water they collect in their dams on their property? Or am I thinking of something else?

No rates
There is a maximum amount of water that flows of falls that you are allowed to collect..don't know what it is

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

2200 litres?!
You big-girl's blouse!
You need 10,000l minimum just to survive the inevitable battle between good and evil! Install a big tank and watch your neighbours cringe in shock and awe. They will be humbled by your might and made fools by your perspicacity!
We have a massive, throbbing, manly and potent 80,000 litres of storage for pure, honest, Christian rainwater! It flows from heaven and into our tanks as God intended. It is unadulterated by chemicals or communists and has goodly life enhancing properties.

Seriously though. You don't know what your missing if you're not drinking rainwater. Doesn't TASTE of anything except water.
It took us about a week to get used to drinking nothing but, but now when I come into Melbourne, I wonder: "How can people drink this ****"!

Its the best stuff for your lawn- no question. The government's ban on watering lawns is addle-brained and unhelpful in any respect. Grass gives off just as much O2 per given area as huggable trees (more if you consider that each time you cut it, grass ups oxygen production by about 25%).
It also acts as a natural cooling system for the immediate area.
If only to keep your lawn and garden happy its worth putting a biggish tank in. The chlorine in city water is not always good for plants and I think you'll find they are much happier with the 'good stuff'.
Bottoms up!

[DavidU (Dave)]

Peter ! ^^^^ You have a way with words alright !

[JimmyH155]

When we had our farm, we had 5,000 gallon concrete tank off house roof. Another easy 3,000 gallons collected off the hay shed and milking parlour, way down the paddock - never used, and I used the rotten existing steel house tank (2,000 gal) to run the dunny and vege patch. It was fed from pump in dam.
Now?? in dreadful chlorine infested burb, my sole collection unit is a 10 litre bucket.

[gts055 (Mark)]

30000 in two poly tanks, mains and borewater. I wouldn't drink the tank water unless boiled or chlorinated, its used for car and boat washing. The sludge in the tanks is flushed out once a year. The things I find on the roof/gutters look most unpalatable apart from the bird deposits Mark

[that_guy (Tony)]

have 4 water tanks (don't know what l it is.) used for the pool...

[Terry B]

About 100 000 L but I don't have town water. They are curently overflowing due to our recent rain.

[mozzie (Peter)]

were on acrage and are self suficient 113,000 litres and have never used 20,000 with out it raining again and filling them up
my pod is on one of the tanks

[erick (Eric)]

Originally Posted by Waxing_Gibbous

2200 litres?!

.... but now when I come into Melbourne, I wonder: "How can people drink this ****"!

I don't - I put it through a filter first - otherwise the coffee tastes yuck!