Water

Water is still the thing I think about a lot, even 5 years after I first made this website. Humans cannot live long without it and in the event of an emergency, mains water pressure will fall or cease altogether. Are you prepared?

Water security is vital in a climate where rainfall is changeable, unpredictable and possibly sporadic. According to recent scientific reports, bushfire seasons similar to that of the Black Summer 2019-20 will occur most years which will cause unavoidable contamination of dams and reservoirs. Having your own water supply will literally become as valuable as gold – the photo I took below is the perfect visual!

Households need to prepare for this situation by doing a number of things:

• catching and storing as much rainwater as possible; buy tanks now before demand outstrips supply
• reducing water consumption (fixing leaks as soon as possible, shorten showers, only wash clothes when you have enough to fill a machine if you don’t have a ‘smart’ one, only boiling a kettle with the amount you need in it etc)
• reduce meat and dairy consumption (both industries use large amounts of water)
• only flush your toilet when necessary, my grandparents had the adage ‘if it’s yellow, let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down’. They were onto something!
• reduce your food waste, it takes a lot of water to grow cereals, fruit and veg etc – use up leftovers or share with neighbours.
• only run your dishwasher when it’s completely full (counterintuitively they do use less water than washing up by hand, generally, as long as they’re fully loaded)
• buy second hand clothes, do a clothes swap and try to avoid shopping unless you really need something, the fast fashion industry produces 20% of all global wastewater and 25% of the world’s carbon budget
• plant trees wherever you can

Which water tank to buy?

There are lots of choices out there, so these two companies are not the only ones, but if you are time poor or totally new to tanks, they are a good starting point. If you mention my name, the Tank Shop will also throw in a free gift (such as a tank inlet screen cover). In case you are wondering, I’m not receiving any remuneration from either of the companies, this is simply a passion project.

A few people have asked me which tank type I would personally recommend, and I would say the stainless steel, ultimately. They have a long guarantee, they’re fully recyclable and the company is just so darn nice. But we all have different needs and budgets, so…do some more reading here:

Water Tank Comparisons for Clean Drinking Water

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Tank Shop 1300 920 547 are a super friendly company who deliver to the Otways, they specialise in metal tanks of all sizes https://www.tankshop.com.au/

Colac Water Supply Specialists 03) 5231 1861 – stock Polymaster tanks and deliver to the Otways, they carry or can order the entire range so have a look at http://www.polymaster.com.au

Both of these companies will be able to advise you about sizes and site preparation – just think of it as future proofing yourself and your community.

Download this brochure if you would like to share with others or use yourself.