When you buy a block or property with no scheme water you are reliant on rainfall, bore water, and naturally occurring water sources to meet your household and garden water needs. There are many ways to approach this requirement, but all are easier if you plan ahead.

Rainwater capture

The rainfall captured from a normal sized home in a water tank of at least 100,000 litres should meet the needs of a 4 person family for a year. Note however that some of the newer subdivisions require the installation of a tank with a minimum capacity of 135,000 litres. We would recommend the maximum capacity you can afford or accommodate.

When planning the layout of your block you should bear in mind that a 150,000 litre tank is 2.3M tall and 9.2M in diameter, and requires a sand pad 11M in diameter and 150mm deep. The top of the tank should be lower than the lowest gutter on the building(s) that feed it.

The gutters should be of as large a cross section as is practical, and equipped with protection to keep them free of leaves and debris. There are new guttering systems coming on the market all the time, some with fire protection capabilities. Ask your builder, or contact us for information.

Typically the downpipes from the gutters are partially full of water at all times, and therefore the metal rectangular cross-section pipes that are often used in urban areas are unsuitable: they will rot and leak through the seam down the back of the pipe. For rainwater capture 90mm diameter round PVC pipe is usually used.

Bore water

Bore water is usually only suitable for irrigation, stock watering, etc. Salinity levels vary, and bore water should be tested to confirm its suitably for purpose. We can provide a testing kit.

Bores in the Bridgetown area are typically 25-45 metres deep, and have a low flow rate. Because of this, it is normal to have the bore equipped with controls to manage the pump to suit the water flow. The bore pump is used to fill a holding tank, and a pump or gravity feed is used to run irrigation, stock troughs, etc.

The major difficulty with a bore is getting it drilled in the first place. The Right Stuff is in regular contact with drillers, and we maintain a list of people seeking a bore to enable us to build a list of enough clients to attract a driller to the area.

Household Water

Household water is delivered from the rainwater tank using a pump. The pump is controlled by a pressure switch – when a tap is opened the pressure drops and the pump starts. There are two main types of pressure switch – electronic, and mechanical with a pressure tank.

Electronic controls will usually turn on the pump at every use of the water, whether that is filling a glass or filling a bath.

Mechanical switches with a pressure tank store a reservoir of water under pressure which is used to meet small demands for water (such as filling a glass). As the reservoir empties and the pressure drops, the pump is turned on.

With both types of controller, when all taps are closed the pressure rises to the point where the switch turns the pump off.

Fire Protection and Fire Fighting

Contact your local Volunteer Fire Brigade for advice and guidance on fire prevention.

All steel water tanks now come with a fire fighter fitting that can be used by the Fire Service if they need it. This same fitting can also be used by you with a fire fighting unit (a petrol powered pump with suitable fire hose, nozzle, and fittings).

We stock locally made brackets to mount sprinklers around the roof. These can be used to wet down the roof and gutters to reduce the risk of fire started by embers.

Some gutter systems have valve systems that close off the downpipes, fill the gutters causing a “curtain” of water around the house. Contact us for more information.

Notes

1. If you wish to locate a rainwater tank up-hill from the buildings, systems to capture the rain in a smaller tank and automatically pump it to the main tank can be set up. Contact us for more details.
2. Bore pumps, irrigation pumps, and household water pumps all require a professionally installed electrical outlet in close proximity. Apart from any safety issues, the use of extension cords is likely to cause damage to the pump through voltage drop which leads to overheating and electrical failure.
3. We are happy to review your plans for tanks, etc. and provide advice – it is better for you and us if things are done correctly at the early stages of design and building.