In a related article, we explored the effect of Australia’s water use on river systems. While surface water is impacted, Australia also contains rich reservoirs of water underground. Since we live in a very dry country, groundwater is extensively depended upon across country. This article explores Australia’s declining ground water and the consequence of such. Effects […]

Australian households do not necessarily consume the most water. The largest use of Australia’s water resources is irrigation and agricultural purposes, however this ultimately serves the best interests of households who are then able to buy quality food at a good price to put on their table. One might think therefore households can’t make much difference in […]

If you have the luxury of a swimming pool on your property, then you probably become the envy of your neighbours who don’t during the hotter summer months of the year as your family splashes around. What many don’t realise is the amount of time and cost that often goes into maintaining a swimming pool […]

While saving money is often cited as a reason for harvesting rainwater, the desire to be more environmentally-friendly – to preserve our precious water supplies for our ecosystems, for recreation and future generations – is the more compelling reason people invest in a rainwater harvesting system.   Throughout Australia today, environmental concerns are at an all-time high. […]

No matter whether you are wanting to save costs or do your bit for the environment, living off-grid, independent of local utilities, in an urban residential setting is possible. In sunny Australia, it is easy to go off-grid with solar, harnessing the sun’s energy to provide us with power and hot water for free, but given […]

If you are considering becoming water self-sufficient, making your house independent from a main water supply, then you will need to do some careful planning. The most important thing is to obviously ensure such is sustainable, that you will have a continuous supply of high quality water supply all year long. Safety Concerns with City […]

How much of your family’s water needs can be serviced by rainwater being harvested into a tank? If you are environmentally conscious and contemplating buying a rainwater tank, then you’ve probably wondered about this question. This article aims to help you determine if your family can live off tank water alone. Calculating Your Home’s Water Usage The first thing to consider […]

Rooftops gather an amazing amount of water when it rains, yet most of this simply goes to waste as stormwater runoff. Harvesting this water is a great way to keep your swimming pool topped up during the months of summer, not to mention for use in other purposes such as irrigating gardens, washing your car, laundry, and toilet […]

Earth’s surface is two-thirds water, 71% to be exact, and of that around 2.5% is fresh water. With such limited fresh water supply, governments invest in desalination plants, recycled water, dams, underground water sources and like. Supplying fresh water on demand is a costly exercise, but a basic requirement for developing societies. In Australia, property […]

If you’re building new infrastructure on your land, whether it’s a shed, warehouse, barn or other facility, it’s vital you determine the best water supply and storage system solution for your new building. How much water will I need? Your first step is to determine how much water your new building will need. For a […]

In many areas of Australia, particularly in the south-eastern parts, rivers were once much wider with shallow beds. The rivers systems often had strong bursts of water followed by long and dry periods, creating the disconnected ponds called billabongs. While there was once a jolly swagman who camped by a billabong, sadly there are much […]

If you are planning on adding a swimming pool or outdoor spa in New South Wales, you may need to comply with requirements of the Building Sustainability Index (BASIX). These requirements aim to deliver equitable and effective reductions in water usage across NSW. This article provides an overview of when and what you need to do […]

Most people are comfortable with the idea of using rainwater for washing clothes or flushing toilets, but some have reservations about bathing, showering or drinking rainwater. If your rainwater tank is made of materials that are safe for use in contact with drinking water, and your rainwater harvesting system is maintained, then there is no reason […]