Why not make your own water?

Wednesday, 19 September 2007

By BARBARA WEIL

• Howick and Botany Times

IN Manukau City, bulk treated water is purchased from Watercare Services Ltd and it is distributed through 1930km of council-owned pipework to business and residential customers.

All properties connected to the public water supply are metered and pay for all consumption. The rate for 2007/08 is $1.99 per 1000 litres of water.

We are all aware that a clean water supply and an efficient wastewater disposal system are essential services vital to the protection of the environment, economy and people’s health and welfare.

It is not surprising that 90,000 tonnes of water flows into New Zealand’s third largest city every day.

That’s enough to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool every 10 minutes, or a super tanker every day.

Of course every citizen appreciates that to provide this amount of water costs a great deal and we have to pay for it.

However, there are also very real fears that the price of water will continue to increase and it’s we who will bear that cost.

There can be alternatives. People can save on their water bills in a very simple way – by installing a tank to take water from the roof.

The managing director of a company that builds and exports wooden tanks of all kinds also makes models for domestic use. He has one on his residential property in Glendowie. It is used for the toilet, laundry and garden.

He saves up to one third on his water bill and considers that he made a wise decision.

It is a sobering thought that although the current water rate in Manukau is $1.99 for 1000 litres; don’t forget that when you are watering your garden the amount of water used is about that 1000 litres an hour per one sprinkler head. It all adds up.

The wooden tank manufacturer says a tank of about 9000 litres is about right for the average domestic property. At a cost of $5000 including plumbing it would take five to six years to recoup the investment. It begins to make sense.

Of course a domestic tank does no necessarily have to be made from wood – there are other materials such as concrete available. However timber tanks are made from pine – a renewable resource which is valuable from an environmental point of view.

Tanks are also able to be made vermin and bird proof. This means that residents could have a supply of potable water useable for any purpose.

Think about it – consider investing in a domestic tank and save on your water bills.

However you had better act quickly before some killjoy on the council decides to enact a bylaw to stop you.