Once you have decided to install your own water tank it is likely that you will want to conduct some research to check on the suitability of your own home for a water storage system.
One of the questions you will have to answer is: do you go above ground or below?
Several factors apply.
- Accessibility to water supply.
- Nature of the site.
- The impact upon any landscaping you have or plan to have.
- Intended destination & use for the water.
- Cost
Accessibility of Water Supply
Very often urban water collection is from house gutters. The determinant then becomes the height of the above-ground tank. There are sites where, due to the slope of the land, the gutters are still quite low making a gravity flow impossible.
If the source of the water is below the height of an above ground tank then a pump will be required. A pump is needed to “push” the water up to the tank.
A below ground tank will not probably need this kind of pump arrangement.
A below ground tank will usually have the force of gravity as sufficient power to have the water flow easily into the tank.
Nature of the Site
Flat land for an above ground water tank will still require some site preparation. A properly level site & a sand, or some equivalent base, are needed.
For an in-ground water tank then excavation is obviously called for. A geo-tech report will indicate if the below ground profile will make for a quick & simple excavation. The report should advise on the presence of rock, clay, sand or any of the other soil components which may impact negatively upon getting the hole dug & stable.
The impact upon any landscaping you have or plan to have
Both kinds of tanks can be fitted into your landscaping.
An above ground tank can be used for as a form for climbing plants of all kinds. They can also be used as solid colour backdrops for shrubs & ferns/palms.
In-ground water tanks are usually easily hidden by ground cover plants & are much less obtrusive for the landscaping to deal with.
Intended destination & use for the water
Is the stored water for use in the house, garden or both? Again gravity is the most cost effective way to move water. If the tank can be located above the intended destination then you have no worries. If not, then a pump will be required.
Given that an in-ground tank will generally have a pump attached then it is fairly versatile & can be positioned in a range of sites.
If a pump is installed to an above ground tank then there is also a wide range of suitable sites.
Cost
Here is the usual decider. What are the cost considerations?
Costs are straightforward. The bigger the tank the more cost. This will be based on the amount of water available for storage & your estimated water volume requirement.
The next cost is the installation of any pumping system, either to push water into the tank, to pull water up from the tank & any flow requirements you may have such as a flow rate for spraying, normal tap pressure &/or anticipated height for water to reach.