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Economics of rainwater tanks |
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 A report commissioned by the Nature Conservation Council,
Australian Conservation Foundation and Environment Victoria highlights
the cost effectiveness and ability
of rainwater tanks to provide water in the urban centres of Sydney,
Melbourne and South-east Queensland.
This report shows that rainwater tanks are cost competitive with
desalination, yet five times more energy efficient - significantly
reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The report was written by Marsden Jacob, economic consultants who in
November 2006 prepared a discussion paper on Australia's urban water
supplies for Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The report shows that installing rainwater tanks in 5 per cent of potential houses a year
would mean that the desalination plant at Kurnell could be deferred
beyond 2022.
It also outlines that over 1 million households in Sydney could be fitted with a rainwater
tank by 2022. This represents around 65 per cent of total households
and would provide water savings greater than the total yield of the
planned desalination plant.
The Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday April
17 reported: "The Minister for Water Utilities, Nathan Rees, has referred a
report on rainwater tanks by the water economists Marsden Jacobs to
the Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability for review." (p.4)
Download a copy of the report here (1Mb).
NCC is calling on the NSW Government to install rainwater tanks in 5% of households each year.
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