It’s raining!

Now is the perfect time to start collecting your rain water (rain water harvesting).

After the fantastic summer we have had, coupled with rapidly rising water, waste water costs and monthly billing, many Aucklanders have been dumbfounded by some huge water bills.

Did you know only 3% of water going in to a house is used for drinking?
We flush the vast majority of our world class drinking water straight down the drain.
Now we are getting lots of rain it seems unjust paying a fortune for what falls free from the sky.

If you think the cost of living is expensive now, imagine what the next ten years will be like.   Every day more families are turning to self sufficiency to help decrease their consumption and save money.  Yes, it’s the smart thing to do.  Spend a little now and save a lot in the future!

Many people would be surprised at how inexpensive and simple it is to install a rain water harvesting system and how much difference it could make to their water bills. Depending on usage and the size of your tank it can pay for itself in 2 to 5 years. By using collected rainwater to flush toilets and connect to your washing machine as well as outside taps and irrigation, you can easily reduce your mains water usage by 50%.

Even better, is having peace of mind knowing you will have fresh water if you really need it!

In the event of a natural disaster you will have your own supply and not be dependant on the local infrastructure which in many parts of Christchurch remained crippled for weeks.

Many homes are still on back-up water supplies and basic facilities.   Being prepared always makes sense.  Sometimes we just need to be pointed in the right direction.  A little thought and preparation will go a long way to providing you and your family with peace of mind and a great investment.

A simple water butt and diverter connected to a down pipe can be used to collect water to irrigate your veggies or at the other extreme you can install large tanks, a pump, filtration and uv treatment and have it connected into your entire household plumbing.

There are now pumps available that can detect when the tank level is low and automatically switch over to town supply.

In general you do not need resource consent and there are a range of tank shapes and sizes available as well as above or below ground options so that even if you have a small garden you can collect a significant amount of water.

In many parts of Australia it is mandatory requirement to install RWH in new homes and there are subsidies and grants available to retrofit existing buildings. We are lucky to live in water rich NZ however as this last summer has shown even we are susceptible to climate change and water shortages and that is only going to increase over the next few years.
Every time it rains, it’s money down the drain! In Auckland the weather can change a lot in one week!
For more information go to www.thinkwater.co.nz\auckland

ENDS

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