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Dirty rainwater and contaminated rainwater
0 Comments | Posted by Water Tactics in rainwater
People often contact us when they have noticed dirty rainwater and/or contaminated rainwater. The first thing to do in any case is to undertake a thorough investigation of the rainwater harvesting system to ascertain what is causing the rainwater contamination or giving the appearance of ‘dirty rainwater‘.
Dirty rainwater
Dirty looking rainwater can simply be caused by tannins from vegetation breakdown which have ’stained’ the water. While this does not necessarily indicate a serious problem, rainwater tainted by tannins is unsightly and can cause staining of laundry and plumbing fixtures. There are ways to remove tannin from rainwater if it is not possible to eliminate the source.
Tank water will also appear dirty if built-up sediment from the bottom of the tank is being drawn through the outlet. In this case, we would recommend our tank cleaning service.
Contaminated rainwater
Rainwater contamination is generally a more serious problem depending on the source of the contamination. Contaminated water may or may not be discoloured but will generally result in an odour or ‘smelly tank water‘. Contamination may occur due to:
- Bacterial contamination due to dead birds, animals, rodents entering the tank or on the rainwater catchment
- Faecal matter on the rainwater catchment washing into the tank
- Groundwater entering underground tanks or wet/charged systems via pipe breakage or incorrect installation
- Cross-contamination from the sewerage system (rare – but this has occurred due to poor installation)
In many cases, we are able to save the majority of the water and restore the health of the tank. However, in cases of severe rainwater contamination, we may recommend draining the water then thoroughly clean and sanitise the tank.
If you are concerned about dirty rainwater or contaminated rainwater, give us a call on 07 33248774 and talk it over with us.
