29% of Australian households say they plan to install a rainwater tank or grey water system during the next 12 months.
Almost 7% of Australian households installed either a rainwater tank or grey water system in their home in 2006, according to economic forecaster and industry analyst BIS Shrapnel.
Rural Victorian households recorded the highest incidence of rainwater tank installations (8.7 %) followed by Brisbane (7.1%), with these two regions also recording the highest incidence of grey water systems (5.4% and 5.0% respectively), according to BIS Shrapnel’s Installation of Rainwater Tanks and Grey Water Systems by Australian Households, 2006/07 report.
“In the current climate, water issues are an important topic for Australia,” said BIS Shrapnel project manager, Michael Hill.
“Across the eastern states in particular, the continued supply of fresh water remains an issue.
“Many households, across key demographic categories, have responded to the water crises by installing systems which enable them to provide their own water so they don’t have to rely on the main water supply.”
BIS Shrapnel research has shown over the next twelve months, 29% of households intend to install a rainwater tank or grey water system.
Hill says while it is unlikely all of these intended installations will proceed, this statistic does exhibit the importance Australian households place on water saving.
The Installation of Rainwater Tanks and Grey Water Systems by Australian Households, 2006/07 report states households in metropolitan Queensland are the most likely to install a rainwater tank over the coming 12 months, while Victorian households indicate the highest intention to install a grey water system.
Hill says water saving devices are favoured by those aged between 35 and 64, while household heads outside of this age-range show a much lower intention to install. Comparatively, BIS Shrapnel research shows it is those aged between 50 and 64 who have actually installed one of the two water saving systems.
Out of the rainwater tanks installed, the vast majority are above ground and an average of 1.4 tanks is installed per household, according to BIS Shrapnel.
“Due to space limitations in many inner city areas, the ability to connect two smaller tanks at the side of a house, rather than one big one in a limited backyard space is essential to the increased take-up of the tanks,” said Hill.
Of the rainwater tanks installed, the average tank holds 4,610 litres, and as expected, the average capacity is higher in rural areas compared to metropolitan regions, according to BIS Shrapnel.
Nationally, BIS Shrapnel research shows the most important reasons for installing a rainwater tank is to save water and to use on the garden.
Combined, these account for 59 % of the installation reasons for rainwater tanks. A further important reason for installing a water saving system identified by survey respondents, especially in rural areas, is due to the house having no town water supply.