Given Australia’s history with bushfires and the recent NSW bushfires, it is important to understand how rainwater tanks can help fight these bushfires and what precautions need to be taken in a bushfire prone area, before installing a rainwater tank. You need to consider a tank that is resistant to various climatic conditions and can help during bushfires.
At SUPATANK, all our tanks are resistant to climatic changes and the water stored in a SUPATANK can be used during bushfires, either as a back up to mains water or to even fight or prevent fire from spreading to your house. There are high chances that mains water might either be cut-off or restricted during bushfires, so that the firefighters can easily deal with fires around the area. This means that you do not have any back up plan, you are without water for days together. In the recent NSW bushfires, many houses with ordinary rainwater tanks went without any water because their tanks were destroyed by the high heat produced by the fires. Ensure, before you invest, that the tank is resistant to climatic changes.
During bushfires, rainwater can also be used to keep your house safe from fires by using water sprinklers around the garden and other fire prone zones in the house. Sprinkler Systems can add protection to a property as it is used to cover the property with water and at the same time can be designed as a Fire Fighting Resource. But, in order for you to use a sprinkler system, it is important that the system is attached to an independent water source, like a swimming pool or a rainwater tank, which can handle the pressure of a sprinkler system. Make sure you are taking all the precautions you can to help protect your home in the event of a fire.
After Bushfires
Special care needs to be taken to avoid storing and using contaminated water, post bushfires. Bushfires can leave behind lot of smoke, ash and other contamination agents, which can contaminate water, if not cleaned properly.
If the rainwater tank has not already been disconnected from the collection pipes, disconnect or redirect the pipes as soon as it is safe to do so. A plumber may be required to undertake this task. Once this is done, it is important that the roof area is thoroughly cleaned, along with all the plumbing that takes the water from the roof to the tank, before the first rains. This means that the tank will need to be drained. Alternatively, the water could be used for non-potable uses (like flushing, or watering the garden). Once the tank has been drained and cleaned, it should be refilled with water from a source known to be safe for drinking.
Contact SUPATANK to know more about how our tanks can help during bushfires.
