[video: Music plays. Title: What you will need for a rainwater tank: A guide to choosing a rainwater tank. Auckland Council logo (pōhutukawa flower over water). Image of Andrew Chin, Head of Healthy Waters Strategy Auckland Council.]

Voice: So, you’re interested in using stored rainwater for your home, but how do you go about it?

[video: Shots of a boy and girl watering the garden, a boy washing a car and a dog drinking from sprayed tap water.]

Voice: If you’ve watched our video ‘Collecting rainwater for your household’, then you’ll have seen the benefits of collecting rainwater, as well as what type of system you might need. This video will go into more detail about the types of rainwater collection systems and the components you need to ensure your installation is safe and complies with council requirements.

[video: Graphic of a house with labelled components of a rainwater tank system.]

Voice: Any system needs to include these basic components:

• A roof with guttering and downpipes.
• A tank or barrel to collect the water in.
• An overflow to return excess water back into the existing stormwater drainage point.
• And a tap to access the collected water.

[video: Four thumbnails appear with options to choose four different videos.]

Voice: To find out what else you might need, choose from the following options.

[video: Music plays. Title: Outdoor use: A guide to choosing a rainwater tank. Auckland Council logo (pōhutukawa flower over water). Image of Andrew Chin, Head of Healthy Waters Strategy Auckland Council, before changing to a graphic of a house with the narrated components labelled.]

Voice: A simple outdoor use-only system usually only requires the basic parts: a roof with gutters and downpipes, a tank with a tap. You’ll also need to make sure that the overflow to return excess water back into the stormwater drainage point is in the same place.

Voice: You can install it yourself with no need for a council consent or a registered plumber.

[video: A graphic of a tank with the following narrated points written up as bullet points.]

Voice: You can buy a small tank or water barrel ranging from 100 to 1000 litres from most garden centres or building yards for as little as $200 to $300.

[video: Shots of a woman in a sunhat watering the garden and a daughter and father washing a car.]

Voice: It can be helpful for watering the garden or washing the car – basically any outdoor use.

[video: Camera returns to Andrew Chin. A shot of a water tank with a sign saying non-potable water and a red circle with a diagonal cross indicating not for drinking.]

Voice: However, do note it will only have a small impact on your overall water resilience and that this untreated and unfiltered water isn’t suitable for any activities where you may ingest the water.

[video: Camera returns to Andrew Chin.]

Voice: For example, cooking, dishwashing, showering or bathing, even handwashing. Check out our other videos for more information.

[video: Music plays. Title: Full water supply system: A guide to choosing a rainwater tank. Auckland Council logo (pōhutukawa flower over water). Image of Andrew Chin, Head of Healthy Waters Strategy Auckland Council, before changing to a child drinking, a man showering and a hand taking clothes out of a washing machine.]

Voice: If you are not connected to a mains water supply you will need a water collection system that provides you with enough water for all your household needs, including drinking, showering and your laundry.

[video: Bullet points conveying the information in the voiceover.]

Voice: We recommend a minimum storage capacity of 30,000 litres for smaller properties and a minimum of 50,000 litres for larger or more remote properties.

[video: Images of a big rainwater tank then two very large tanks.]

Voice: The more storage capacity you have, the more prepared you’ll be for a long, dry period.

[video: Images of a huge tank being craned in and a water tanker delivering water before returning to Andrew Chin narrating.]

Voice: But do be aware that you may also need to organise extra water deliveries to refill your tanks if the dry spell is prolonged. If you need a refill, use a registered water carrier and, whenever you can, plan and book ahead. The register of water carriers for New Zealand is a good place to start.

[video: Graphic of a house with a rainwater tank system and labelled components.]

Voice: As mentioned previously, any rainwater tank system needs to include these basics:

• A roof with guttering and downpipes.
• A tank or barrel to collect the water in.
• An overflow to return excess water back to the existing stormwater drainage point.
• And a tap to access that collected water.

[video: Image of a plumber installing components of a rainwater tank.]

Voice: In addition, you’ll probably need to connect a pump to ensure you have enough pressure for your internal plumbing.

[video: Camera briefly returns to Andrew Chin before changing to images of water from a tap filling a glass and a plumber fitting a water filter.]

Voice: Most importantly, in order to make the water you collect safe for drinking and suitable to use around the home, you’ll need to install a water filtration system.

[video: Camera returns to Andrew Chin before changing to images of a fine mesh filter and a UV filter.]

Voice: There are a variety of filters available including fine mesh that catch sediment or UV filters which remove microbes.

[video: Image of chlorine tablets.]

Voice: Chlorine tablets can also be added to improve the water quality and prevent algae forming inside your tank. We’ll talk more about water quality in the next section of this video.

Voice: When you’re connected to indoor plumbing a building consent will be required. The system will also need to be installed by a registered plumber to ensure that it’s a safe set-up.

[video: Image of a house with a labelled rainwater tank system including a backflow preventer.]

Voice: Backflow preventers are required for homes that are connected to the mains water supply system. This is to stop untreated water from flowing from your tank back into the mains pipes.

[video: Camera returns to Andrew Chin.]

Voice: You may also need a resource consent for a full water supply system depending on where your tanks are positioned. The cost to install a complete water supply system could range anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 depending on the type of tank and set-up you have.

Voice: Find out more about other types of rainwater tank set-ups by clicking on the links and we’d encourage you to check out our tips to improve the water quality of your tank.

Check out our other videos for more information.

[video: Music plays. Title: Outdoor use and non-drinking indoor use: A guide to choosing a rainwater tank. Auckland Council logo (pōhutukawa flower over water). Image of Andrew Chin, Head of Healthy Waters Strategy Auckland Council, before changing to a graphic of a house with the following components labelled.]

Voice: As mentioned previously, any rainwater tank system needs to include these basics:

• A roof with guttering and downpipes.
• A tank or a barrel to collect the water in.
• An overflow to return any excess water back to the existing stormwater drainage point.
• And a tap so you can access the collected water.

[video: Camera returns to Andrew Chin.]

Voice: If you’re interested in using your tank for indoor non-drinking water uses in addition to the outdoor water use, you’ll need a tank with a reasonable amount of storage.

[video: Text showing the following words.]

Voice: We’d suggest a minimum of 3000 litres for a small home and 5000 to 10,000 litres for larger homes.

[video: Image of a plumber installing a rainwater tank with a pump.]

Voice: You’ll also need to connect an electric pump to ensure that you have enough pressure for your internal plumbing.

[video: Image of a tank labelled non-potable water.]

Voice: All outlets should be clearly marked as ‘not for drinking’.

[video: Image of two plumbers carrying a tank for installation.]

Voice: A building consent will be required and your system will need to be installed by a registered plumber who will install a backflow preventer.

[video: A graphic of a house with a rainwater tank system including backflow preventer.]

Voice: This is to ensure the mains water network is not at risk of untreated water from your tank flowing back into the main piped system.

[video: A graphic summarising the following information about when a resource consent may be needed.]

Voice: A resource consent may also be needed depending on where you position your tank and what zone you live in.

[video: Camera returns to Andrew Chin.]

Voice: Setting this system up may cost between $3000 to $8000 but it does offer long-term benefits, including reducing the amount of treated water you use in your home from the mains supply.

[video: Shots of rainwater going down a stormwater grate, rain dripping off a roof, a stormwater pipe releasing rainwater into a water source and a beach.]

Voice: In addition, you’ll be helping reduce the amount of rain that washes through our streets after heavy downpours, that wash pollutants into our waterways and beaches.

[video: Shots of rain in nature and sea water.]

Voice: We’re getting more and more heavy rain like this due to climate change, causing harm to fish and making the water unhealthy for us to swim in.

[video: Camera returns to Andrew Chin.]

Voice: By installing a rainwater tank, you can contribute to improved environmental outcomes – everybody wins! Check out our other videos for more information.

[video: Music plays. Title: How to improve my rainwater tank water quality: A guide to choosing a rainwater tank. Auckland Council logo (pōhutukawa flower over water). Image of Andrew Chin, Head of Healthy Waters Strategy Auckland Council.]

Voice: To improve water quality from your tank, no matter which system you use, there are a few things to consider.

[video: Image of a plumber fitting a lid onto a rainwater tank.]

Voice: Firstly, make sure that your tank is secured and closed. This is the first important step in making sure nothing unwanted enters your tank.

[video: Image of a plumber fitting a gutter guard and a close-up of a leaf guard.]

Voice: You could also add a gutter guard or leaf guard at the top of your downpipes to prevent debris entering your tank.

[video: Image of someone pruning a tree.]

Voice: By pruning overhanging trees, you can minimise the amount of debris that could block your gutters.

[Video: Image of clear gutters.]

Voice: Make sure your gutters are clear of any leaves.

[video: Camera returns to Andrew Chin.]

Voice: Cleaning gutters and screens every 3 to 4 months and after stormy weather is a good practice.
 
 [video: Image of a plumber installing a first flush diverter.]

Voice: A first flush diverter minimises the amount of dirty water that could enter your rainwater tank.

[video: A close-up of the chamber water being diverted.]

Voice: It directs the first runoff after rainfall into a small separate chamber.

[video: Camera returns to Andrew Chin.]

Voice: This is really useful as often this water carries with it loose dirt, debris and contaminants, like bird droppings. Installing these devices is fairly simple and not a huge cost.

[video: Shots of a hand filling a glass with water from a tap, a shower head with the shower running, a pot boiling and a kettle boiling.]

Voice: If you’re using the water for drinking and indoor potable uses (such as showering or cooking where you may ingest the water), you need to take extra measures to ensure that it’s clean and safe.

[video: Camera returns to Andrew Chin before showing bullet points of the following information.]

Voice: Despite the tank having a secure lid, screening and a first flush diverter, the quality of your water may still be affected by a number of things; for example: dirt, scale, rodent and bird droppings, chemicals in spray drift, insects, bacteria, fungi, sediment and sludge. This is why good filtration and maintenance is so important.

[video: Camera returns to Andrew Chin.]

Voice: Water quality is also affected by the material of your roof. You won’t be able to safely drink your tank water if the water has come into contact with lead, treated timber or asbestos, for example. If you’re thinking about installing a rainwater tank for potable or ‘drinking’ purposes, there are various treatment methods available to support this.

[video: Text showing bullet points of the following information.]

Voice: This includes fine filters, cartridge filters, disinfectants, purifiers and chlorination.

[video: Images of two tanks in a series and an individual water tank.]

Voice: Setting up two or more tanks in a series is also a way to get higher quality water than compared to just one tank.

[video: Camera returns to Andrew Chin before flicking to an image of the HealthEd website.]

Voice: If you’re unsure of how safe your water is, we strongly advise you to seek professional advice. The government’s HealthEd website provides information about the supply of safe drinking water to households not connected to town water supplies. It also includes information on water sources, storage and treatment.

[video: Camera returns to Andrew Chin showing links to aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/rainwatertankconsents and the email address hwrainwatertank@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.]

Voice: Before you purchase a rainwater tank, we recommend you check to see if you need a building or resource consent for the tank set-up you have in mind. Use the ‘Do I need a consent tool’ on the Auckland Council website to find out or contact our dedicated rainwater tank inbox.

[video: Images of Auckland Council’s online PDF guide to choosing a rainwater tank.]

Voice: Also, check out our online guide to choosing a rainwater tank to give you a few more tips and things to think about so you can find the rainwater tank set-up that best suits your needs.

[video: Image of two plumbers carrying a water tank for installation.]

Voice: And finally, remember the value of talking to professionals including plumbers and rainwater tank suppliers.

[video: Camera returns to Andrew Chin.]

Voice: There are lots of resources out there to help you save water and protect our environment. Check out our other videos for more information.