Plumbing Africa February 2020 | Page 66

64 PRODUCTS Maintaining an AquaDam steel rainwater tank The rainy season is almost over (except for the Cape) so AquaDam recommends this is a good time to clean out water storage tanks. • Watering your garden Following these four easy steps, you can decontaminate your water: • Washing your laundry • Agricultural purposes • Flushing your toilets • Washing your car 1. Drain your tank completely. 2. Fill the tank to a quarter full, sprinkle 80g of calcium hypochlorite (HSCH) for every 1 000ℓ of water. Then fill the tank completely with fresh water, close with a lid and leave it for 24 hours. 3. Flush out or empty your tank. Do not drain the tank into a septic system or adjacent surface water body! Continue to flush the water out until the wastewater is clear and you cannot detect any chlorine odour. 4. Test your tank and make sure it is free of any chlorine residual. Once you cannot detect any chlorine residual, obtain operational & maintenance (O&M) total coliform bacteria water sample. You can store your water for months at a time, using storage tanks. Owning a steel rainwater tank is key to storing rainwater for future use. You can recycle your rainwater for use in a variety of ways, including: AquaDam says the steel rainwater tank is by far more superior to plastic in strength, versatility and durability, for various reasons: Plastic Rainwater tank Advantages: • Lighter in weight • Colour options • Lower cost Disadvantages: • Plastic reacts with heat and then produces BPA (an organic synthetic compound which might lead to a deadly disease and can even lead to reproductive hormonal disorder). • Phthalic acid (a very harmful acid) is commonly found in plastic. This is known to cause allergies, asthma, and pregnancy complications. • Plastic contains chemicals like petroleum, which has an adverse effect on the nervous system and might cause respiratory irritation. • Stored water in a plastic tank becomes smelly and is unfit for drinking. • It alters the taste of water. • The growth of algae, fungi, and bacteria is a very common occurrence in plastic. • Water stored in plastic rainwater tanks are unfit for household work, like washing clothes and watering plants. • Water from plastic rainwater tanks is not good for our skin and it also damages the quality of hair, leading to hair fall. • Plastic rainwater tanks need maintenance regularly. • The colour of the plastic rainwater tank fades due to sunlight. • Difficult to transport (manufactured in one piece). • Plastic rainwater tanks are not eco-friendly. Steel rainwater tank: Advantages: • Made from galvanized steel (prevents corrosion) • Durable and strong • Lightweight • Size options • Can be repaired faster • Easy to transport (it is built in sections) Disadvantages: • Colour options (don’t have a wide variety available like the plastic rainwater tanks). • Some metals can’t mix. PA An AquaDam steel water tank. www.plumbingafrica.co.za @plumbingonline @plumbingonline @PlumbingAfricaOnline February 2020 Volume 25 I Number 12