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| UTILISING RAINWATER |
| TANKS |
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Rainwater storage tanks can be located at ground level but are usually sunk below ground for protection against frost and to save space. Storage containers in the form of re-used orange juice tanks with a capacity of 1520 litres are the cheapest form of water storage and are fine for smaller domestic systems. For increased capacity it is possible to link two or more of these together where the tanks are being used above ground. GAP rainwater tanks are also suitable for installation below ground. These can be made in almost any size but 3000, 4000, 5000 and 10000 litre capacities are standard items and can therefore be readily obtained. A rule of thumb on cost is to allow about £160-£200 per 1000 litres (1 cubic metre). These tanks can be supplied with the smoothing inlet and overflow trap pre-fitted, saving on installation time on-site. Pre-cast concrete tanks are also available |
| Political tensions caused by water shortage |
| According to the UN, industrialization, environmental degredation, water wastage and population growth are all putting pressure on fresh water supplies. The water shortage has already led to tensions between various states. Problems can also arise in the EU if the main drinking water utilities in Central Europe are to sell fresh water to Southern Europe as envisaged in various plans. Corresponding reductions of ground-water in the source countries can be expected, and, as experience shows, conflicts within stages can be caused when conurbations "tap" excessive supplies from their environs. For instance, in Germany the high water consumption of the city of Freankfurt has caused Vogelsberg, Frankfurt's source of water to suffer a severe reduction in ground-water, so marked in fact that the resulting ground sinkings have caused some damage to buildings in the locality |
| Market for rainwater utilization plants growing by leaps and bounds in Germany |
| In view of the steadily increasing prices for drinking water and waste water, investment in rainwater utilization plants pays off in a reasonable period and can thus make a major contribution to the cause of environmental protection. The decisive factor is optimal plant technology - the correct design of plant size and the use of optimal filters, pumps and cisterns. |
| THE PROBLEM |
| Each of us in the UK uses on average about 150 litres of water every day. For drinking and bathing purposes we need this water to be of a high quality and free of any potentially dangerous bacteria. But a large proportion of our water is used to flush our toilets, wash our clothes, water our gardens and clean our cars. Obviously water for such uses does not need to be purified but the idea of having two separate supplies would be very expensive to implement and highly impractical. Rainwater Harvesting is the answer. |
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