Are you looking for ways to reduce overhead costs on your commercial property? Do you want to reduce your overall carbon footprint and enhance sustainability? Fortunately, installing a rainwater harvesting system can help you achieve all this and more. 

More good news is that this can be done as part of your commercial plumbing services and is easier to set-up and maintain than most people think. In addition to providing a cost-effective way to reduce expenses, it also allows everyone on the property to use rainwater for non-potable uses. 

Understanding the Water Harvesting Process

Australia is well-known for its dry, arid climate, and for some regions, water scarcity is a reality that home and business owners are dealing with daily. This has left many people opting to add rainwater tanks to their properties. 

Essentially, rainwater harvesting refers to the process where large water tanks are strategically placed around buildings with gutter systems to catch the rainwater before it cascades of the roof. Water flows from the roof into specially installed downpipes and then into the tanks. 

If you have a one tank system, a tap is placed on the bottom of the tank, and you can then connect a hose if need be. Multiple tank systems may include a gutter pipe between each tank. This allows one tank to fill up and then flow into the next tank and so on.

For the most part,  these types of setups are ideal in water-scarce areas or in industries and factories that can use the rainwater in their various production processes. The water from your water tanks can also be used for other purposes, such as the following:

• Cleaning
• Watering gardens or crop fields
• Flushing toilets

Benefits of Every Property Type

You don’t have to be living on a farm or running an agricultural business to reap the benefits of a water harvesting system. Many commercial businesses are choosing to install rainwater harvesting tanks for a range of different reasons. Here are a few of the top ways that your commercial property can benefit. 

1. Reduction of Water Costs

Is your number one goal to reduce costs on your commercial property? If so, then you’ll be delighted to learn that using harvested rainwater will help you reach this goal quicker than you had anticipated. 

Experts suggest that the right system for your area and your property’s demands can see you saving between 40 and 80% on your annual water bill. This is a quick profit that can benefit other areas of your business.

2. Helps to Reduce Stormwater Runoff

A lot of rain my sound like good news if you’re in a water scarce area, but too much rain at once can create flooding and lead to extensive soil erosion. This not only affects the day to day running of your business but may also damage the foundations of the buildings on your commercial property. 

Catching as much rainwater as possible means that less is falling on the ground which in turn reduces the damage to the soil and surrounding foundations. There’s also less damage and pollution flowing into local waterways. Our plumbers recommend installing a system that matches the rainfall patterns in your area. This will ensure that you can enjoy maximum benefits from this process. 

3. Minimises the Reliance on Groundwater

It’s not uncommon for commercial property owners to opt for using groundwater to cut costs and reduce their reliance on municipal water supplies. However, it’s essential to know that over draining ground water can have a detrimental effect on local environments. By depleting the natural water supply, ecosystems will stop functioning as they should. This will in turn reduce the water availability for future generations.

4. Ensures You Have Water in Your Fire Suppression Systems

Another top benefit of having back-up water in your harvesting tanks is to ensure that your property has easy access to water in hydrants and other fire suppression systems. This can also include sprinklers. 

Installing and maintaining hydrants and fire suppression systems is also done by commercial plumbers. Therefore, it’s recommended that you enlist them for an assessment of the system your property needs. This will depend on factors such as size, reason for use, and local regulations. 

Your commercial plumber will advise you of the type of rainwater harvesting system you need to sustain your fire suppression system. Linking these two systems will further reduce your need for municipal water, and with the right system in place, you will have peace of mind that your hydrants are always ready to work when they need to. 

Final Thoughts

Whether you have a commercial, residential, or industrial property, our plumbing team recommend getting on board with this initiative. Some of the benefits you can look forward to include better management of stormwater, reduced water bills, and less dependence on your municipal resources. 

Since water tanks can be customised and designed to fit in with your property, your commercial plumber will easily be able to help you find the best solution for your space. Making your property more sustainable just got a whole lot easier!