Swimming Pool vs Rainwater Tank
How clean is the water in your rainwater tank compared to the water in your swimming pool?
What never ceases to amaze us is how many people would never consider swimming in their swimming pool without having it cleaned regularly, but never give any thought to the fact that they drink, cook with, bathe in and wash their clothes in water from a rainwater tank that has in all likely hood, never been cleaned.
Both the water in your swimming pool and in your rainwater tank may contain a range of microbiological organisms (microbes), including bacteria, viruses and protozoa. The difference being that the water in your swimming pool is filtered and chlorinated and the water in your rainwater tank isn’t. Some of these microbes that are found in the water can cause gastrointestinal illnesses, which can be particularly severe for the very young, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.
So, let’s keep the water in your rainwater tank vs the water in your swimming pool comparison going and look at the possible sources of these microbes, they are almost identical.
Potential sources of microbes in the water in your swimming pool may include:
- Animals, such as dogs – some pets like to paddle in the pool on hot days.
- Dead wildlife – for example, frogs, lizards or insects may occasionally drown in your pool.
- Debris from around the property, such as leaves, grass and dust.
Potential sources of microbes in the water in your rainwater tank may include:
- Faecal material (droppings) – deposited by birds, lizards, mice, rats, possums and other animals.
- Dead animals and insects – either washed in from the gutters, or that have drowned in your rainwater tank itself.
- Debris from around the property, such as leaves, grass and dust.
Most domestic rainwater tanks collect water run-off from roofs via guttering and many of the rainwater tanks we come across are 10, 20 and even 30 years old, and they have never been cleaned.
Here’s another comparison for you.
Let’s say you left your car outside for 10 years without washing it, how much dirt and dust do you think would settle on it over that period of time? Now think about the catchment area of your rainwater tank, which is a lot bigger than the actual rainwater tank, now imagine how much dirt and dust would have been washed into that rainwater tank over the last 10 years, not to mention the other things that have also been accumulating over the same period of time.
Fortunately, rainwater tanks can now be cleaned without having to empty them, so we are able to perform regular maintenance cleans on your rainwater tank with minimal water loss and zero downtime.
If you are a rainwater tank and/or swimming pool owner, take a look at the water in your swimming pool and how clean the bottom of it is, then take a look at the water in your rainwater tank and how much sediment is visibly sitting on the bottom of it.
Chances are your rainwater tank is well overdue for a clean.
