The sunny summer beckons and watching a young mum feed her son after successfully wrestling the majority of the food into his mouth in the back yard. She went to wash her son with water from an outside tap. I asked is that rainwater tank water or tap water?
“it is outside but I don’t know” was her reply. I suggested that as her gutters were cleaned her rainwater tanks could be the next step to consider. Especially if little Josh’s older sister’s had tea party supplies from said tap. An analogy of the bath water, you can see when a bath removes unseen muck, would you keep bathing in the same water? Now heat and cool the water outside and perhaps look at the outflow from your garden tap in a glass jar for a clue on the buildup of silt you may have in your rainwater tank, or take a peak at the inlet as green thriving plants need gorgeous soil for nourishment.
The reason for concern being bacteria, insects’ vermin and white dialectic material plus dried salts and metals from the roof and gutters decomposing are washed into tanks. The tanks then sit often for several months over winter before being used on our hotter days. This circle of life’ continues for years perhaps decades with silt building up inside the rainwater before someone unsuspectingly turns the handle and taps out…
This begs the question, when was the last time you had your rainwater tanks cleaned?!
The silt and breeding ground for stagnant water should be of concern to anyone using this source not least for garden bed pH balance or topping up the swimming pool and juggling the equilibrium as swimming soirées are soon upon us.
Where water is vital for life and collecting and being responsible for water use is the drive we all should look towards, the unseen dangers need to be weighed up and dealt with always.
What are WHO standards?
The World Health Organisation (WHO) gives this definition as fundamental basic human right for access to safe, clean water and safe and hygienic sanitation, which is not always achieved or respected. Check the following link, https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/water-quality/guidelines/en/
What is the start point?
So, the balancing act starts with cleaned roof and gutters and flows on to our rainwater tanks, especially, with the increasing use of tanks and their grey water use options. Perhaps this is why your plant beds are not thriving like the next doors as adding silt concentrate from your tanks will skew your garden soil.
Labelling outside taps is one step for greater knowledge and then prevention rather than cure. As water for pet bowls and from sprinklers can affect more than we would like. Rejuvenate your billabong from your roof top to your back garden and have more confidence in the water you surround yourself with.
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