A new approach to water tanks

Elizabeth · Jun 27, 2007 10:54 pm

Hi everyone

Just wanted to alert people to an article I read in this edition of Renew magazine by a guy who has just installed a kids swimming pool underneath his new decking for use as a tank.

It probably wouldn't qualify for inclusion in BASIX or five star type certification programs because I don't think it would pass through the bureaucratic hoops.

But if you're just looking for water storage and are either building or renovating at the moment, it might be worth a look.

So here are the salient points:

Cost about $350: $200 for the pool and $150 to dig it in (it's set into the ground by about 200mm).

Size: Stores 7000 litres. Dimensions 3.6m in diameter and 80cm high.

Pump: He's connected it to his other tanks, so they all run off one pump. Obviously, if this were your only water storage, you'd need a pump, as you would for any other tank (assuming you're not on top of a hill).

Other issues:

Safety wise, it's under the deck, so not accessible.

Legally, it is considered a tank, not a pool, because apparently the standards define a pool as 'something that is principally used for swimming'.

At present, he's trying to work out the best way to cover it ... the cover it came with is useless and he's more than a bit worried about mozzies when it warms up!

He thinks that not being exposed to sun or human activity means the pool is likely to last many years.

I think that's a summary of the main points.

Cheers

e.

Michelle · Jun 27, 2007 10:59 pm

How was the flicks E?

Not too sure about the pool thing, I personally couldn’t cope with the extra work.
But what I LOVE is people using their imaginations to come up with solutions to get round problems.

Elizabeth · Jun 27, 2007 11:06 pm

I'm not sure there is any extra work. Once he gets the cover sorted, it should just be like any other tank. He was putting in a new deck, so I gather it wasn't that much more of an undertaking once the conceptualisation and research was done.

Movie ("I Do") was great, as French chick flicks go. The audience was as much of a hoot as the movie ... a big gaggle (what is the collective noun here?) of women in their fifites having a night out. :wink:

Anyway, I'm shutting down now, just wanted to send the post about the pool-tank before I forgot.

Sweet dreams all!

e.

vpande · Jun 28, 2007 8:09 pm

Since our council rejected our application to come out forwards(6.6 m frontage) I have decided to put under deck rainwater storage.. its called a 'bladder' .. seen an ad in a gardening magazine.open tanks are too risky with stuff falling in it... even mozzies and cockroaches.. no matter how tightly the lid is shou you'll find the roaches lurking in summer.

vp

Dobly · Jul 05, 2007 3:56 pm

I have that issue as well. What a great mag eh?

The pool under the deck idea is pure gold.. Sure, you need do all you can to keep the bugs out but if it is not your main 'drinking water' supply, you could float a little kerosene on the top (take the water from the bottom and never let it run low).

Just to have that water on hand for gardening, car washing or bushfire fighting. Even if you have plenty and enough regular water tanks and you fill this one last, why waste a precious drop?

vpande · Jul 08, 2007 10:25 am

yes great magazine. In the present times one shold harves as much possible water from their roofs. There were heaps of other ideas in the mag such as portable 'watering caddy' that can carry the grey water to required areas.