Have you been thinking about installing a rainwater tank, but aren’t sure how much you can actually use rainwater in your home? Well, rainwater isn’t just for watering the garden – you can use it in your home far more than you might think!
Rainwater that’s been appropriately harvested and stored offers a sustainable water source that’s ideal for household use. In urban areas, rainwater harvesting systems featuring filters, purifiers, and other necessary equipment can reduce your reliance on mains water, or even replace it entirely.
Not only does rainwater harvesting reduce pressure on the mains water system in your area, it also reduces your water bill!
So let’s look at the many ways you can use rainwater in your home.
What can I use rainwater for?
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Drinking and cooking
There’s nothing quite as delicious as pure, freshwater. Unlike treated water from the tap, rainwater doesn’t contain chlorine or other chemicals that are used in sanitising mains water.
That’s not to say it’s 100% pure straight from the sky. The problem starts when rainwater is collected from roofs or other dirty surfaces. Bits of dirt, dead insects, and other environmental pollutants can make it unfit for drinking straight away. But you can make rainwater safe to drink by installing a water filtration system.
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Shower, bath and laundry
Showers account for the biggest single water use in Australian households, using a whopping 34% of our household water. Washing clothes accounts for about 23 per cent of indoor water use in Australia.
If you used harvested rainwater for all of these, you could reduce your water use enormously. Depending on how clean you want your washing water, you could use either treated or untreated rainwater for this.
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Flushing toilets
Toilets use almost 26 per cent of water in the average Australian home. We literally flush our drinking water down the drain! Using harvested rainwater is a no-brainer solution here. It makes absolutely no sense to waste drinkable water this way.
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Watering lawns, gardens and houseplants
This one’s the obvious use that springs to mind. After all, we Aussies love our gardens, we love our lush green lawns, and we love to enjoy time outside in the backyard.
But do we really need to use drinking water for this? Of course not!
Rainwater is naturally designed to water plants, and it can easily be used for both indoor and outdoor gardens. You can use rainwater in watering cans to water your plants by hand, or you can attach any rainwater storage tanks directly to an automatic irrigation system.
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Composting
Australians are becoming more and more aware of the food waste we create. Many Aussies are turning to composting and worm farms to help keep food out of landfill and help out the environment.
Water is essential for proper decomposition of your compost pile. Make sure you water your compost with the rest of your garden.
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Water for wildlife or pets
You can use recycled rainwater for birdbaths, troughs, or other containers for wildlife to visit. Rainwater is also typically safe for pets to drink or wash in, especially if you use proper filtering to keep out any contaminants.
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Outdoor ponds, pools and water features
Aussies love their pools. But they use a monumental amount of water from our mains. In fact, most councils require a special permit to fill a pool of over 10,000 litres due to the huge drain on the mains water system.
The good news is, rainwater can be filtered for use in pools, as well as fountains or other water features. With proper treatment and conditioning, rainwater is safe to swim in and is safe for your animals to drink too!
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Washing vehicles and equipment
Most Australian councils have water restriction rules that prevent residents from washing the car, hosing footpaths, or high-pressure rinsing of equipment. Rainwater is the perfect alternative for washing your cars, garden tools, lawnmowers, and even the driveway, sides and windows of your house.
Ready to install a rainwater tank in your home?
Since 2007, ASC Water Tanks have been supplying homes with rainwater tanks across Australia.
No matter the size of your home, ASC Water Tanks can provide a water-saving solution just right for you. We only sell high-grade Australian Made water tanks to support our economy and to deliver a superior product to our customers.
Give us a call on 1300 229 606 to discuss a rainwater tank solution for your home.
1 http://www.yourhome.gov.au/water
2 http://www.yourhome.gov.au/water