Associated Actions

Environment

Almost every river and wetland system in Australia is under stress from human withdrawal of water. River red gums, fish breeding stocks and the estuary systems at the end of these rivers are dying. The human need for water is continuing to expand in the face of this silent death of our rivers. This action moves us toward being as efficient with our water use as nature is. A tall order indeed.

Wellbeing

Clean fresh water from the tap is, for most people in the world, a luxury. As the Australian water supply is stretched, recycled and sterilised at the expense of our waterways we expose ourselves to toxic algae, chemically treated water and an increased vulnerability to severe drought. Many people across the globe are not so lucky, and a lack of water and associated diseases kills tens of millions of children each year. So water wisely, and conserve this precious resource.

Harvest and Use your Rainwater

By capturing and using the rain that falls on our houses - water that currently flows into the stormwater drain - we are taking another step in increasing our water efficiency, and conserving this precious resource. Have a plumber redirect your down pipes into a tank for storage and install pumps and pipes to service some of your household water needs. By these simple actions, most Australian households would save at least 45,000 litres and hundreds of dollars per year.

How to do it now!

Scope out the benefit of installing a rainwater harvesting system in your home, explore government rebates and think medium to long term.

1.     Get some advice & a quote

Contact a local rainwater tank and tank-to-toilet installation specialist in your area to get some expert advice and a quote on installation.

2.     Explore government incentives and programs - As we are living through drought years and Australia is water poor, most state governments have rebates to help fund rainwater tank installation. In addition, some states have further incentives and programs to encourage households to install water collection and saving equipment.

3.     Calculate the cost, benefit and return on investment  - By measuring the water bill savings, rebates, and increased home value against the cost to purchase and install a rainwater harvesting system you can calculate the financial value of this investment.

For example, installing a 5,000 litre tank connected to the toilet and garden may cost $10,000 with a $1000 rebate and reduce your water bill by $500 per annum. In addition, a recent study by Energy Partners in Canberra found that a one-star improvement in a home's energy rating coincides with an average increase in advertised sale of price of around $15,000. Hence, the above investment will add at least $10,000 of value to your house should you sell. This equates to a 5.5% annual return plus your investment back.

Why this action is important?

Fresh water is the lifeblood of nature. Without it, we would not have clean air, food, drink and many aesthetic and recreational benefits. Therefore, we need to ensure we use water in a sustainable way - we need to share it with all life on the planet and respect and value this "lifeblood". The consequences of doing otherwise can be seen in the spreading deserts across the world and the drought and famine that can soon follow.