Choosing the best water source for your home and garden

H2OmeCalc is a tool to assist householders in better managing available water supplies in the home by:

• Reducing the amount of mains water used, saving money and water.
• Enhancing security of household water supply through periods of water restrictions, protecting gardens from costly plant deaths.
• Supporting more sustainable living by using water more efficiently.
• Improving the home asset value and quality of living by enabling the development of attractive gardens and environments to live in.

H2OmeCalc recognises there are a wide range of water sources available to the householder. The challenge is to find the optimum mix of sources. Often this investment decision is made without fully assessing the costs and benefits. For example, an undersized or underutilised rainwater tank will not provide optimum benefit in terms of water savings.

H2OmeCalc is supported by a simple financial model with a number of assumptions about the future price of water, the cost of rainwater tanks and greywater systems, and the installation cost. These costs (particularly the installation cost) depend on your individual circumstances. H2OmeCalc provides an indicative cost based on data users have entered to help with the decision process. These estimates are ONLY A GUIDE, a quotation for your specific house and garden is required to confirm all costs!

A number of water source options are available to Australian communities, most commonly they include:

• Mains water: Drinking quality water provided by your local water supplier.
• Rainwater collection: Rainwater tanks are becoming a more common feature in urban communities, with around 17% of all households installing a tank on their property
• Greywater (or grey water): Typically water from baths, showers, hand basins and washing machines. It does not include water from the toilet. Water from kitchen sinks and dishwashers is also technically greywater, however the high concentration of food wastes and chemicals mean that it is less suitable for re-use.

Our H2OmeCalc will help you calculate:

• How much water you require for your home and garden
• How much rainfall you can capture
• How much greywater is potentially available for your home and garden
• How much greywater and rainwater you are likely to be able to use in your home and garden
• How much mains water you will require

As a result of this you will be able to estimate the best water source solution for your home and garden.

Using rainwater and greywater in your home and on your garden is a great way to reduce your annual requirement for potable mains water. While you may still have periods where rainwater and greywater supplies do not meet your demand, in the long run you are still significantly reducing your overall demand for potable mains water and reducing your mains water bill.

Rainwater

Rainwater tanks require space in your garden or under your property for storage. Tanks now come in a large range of colours, sizes and shapes and many can be positioned in unobtrusive ways around your home. Rain tanks rely on rainfall to supply water from the roof, so if it doesn’t rain or if rain doesn’t fall at the right time of year, there is no rainwater to fill the tank.

Greywater

Greywater is a great option for your garden watering because most people have a plentiful supply: it doesn’t rely on rainfall or vary much with seasons and it reduces your reliance on potable water. Using greywater may be the only solution for keeping gardens alive during periods of hot, dry weather. Greywater replaces the need to use mains water for watering gardens or lawns and can potentially save thousands of litres of drinking water each year.

• Reduces your reliance on mains water
• Decreases your water bills.
• Reduces the amount of sewage discharged to the oceans or rivers.
• Irrigates your garden during drought periods and when water restrictions prevent the use of mains water.