One of the first jobs in the new house was to organise the installation of a rainwater tank. The main goal was ensuring that we could have the garden we wanted, watered when we wanted, regardless of drought conditions.

A water tank would also reduce our overall water usage, and plumbing into the washing machine and toilet was a possibility.

I received three quotes, one from a major business and two from local companies. Prices ranged greatly, and the big supplier was the costliest and provided the least (not a surprise).

What was a surprise was how few of the tank installers were prepared to work “off script”. They had a standard tank type (metal or plastic), standard tank sizes, and were uncomfortable with connecting to the plumbing.

Thankfully, the Marrickville-based supplier was great, asked heaps of to-the-point questions, and was comfortable with everything that we wanted to do.

The tank itself was cheap, only $1,600 for a 5,110L round Colourbond tank. We had it painted to match the colour of our roof (Manor Red). Having space beside the house was a huge advantage here, as it allowed us to install a round tank rather than the ‘narrowline’ (and more expensive) tanks.

We were also able to get away with a bed of “crusher dust” instead of a concrete slab, due to the flat space beside the house. (This saved us at least $1,000.)

Doing a proper job, however, the costs added up, including:

• Hookup to two downpipes with first flush and leafeaters = $800
• In-tank sump pump (powerful model for front and back gardens) = $800
• Connection to toilet and washing machine = $600
• Filters = $300

All up, the cost was $6,200 including GST. Not cheap!

Thankfully there are plenty of rebates on offer at the moment, and we’re expecting to receive the following:

• Marrickville Council = $900 (more info)
• Sydney Water = $1,400 (more info)
• Commonwealth Government = $500 (more info)

So that’s a net cost of $3,400 after all the rebates.

It’s a great tank, and the installer did a wonderful job. It’s big enough to serve our needs well, and the recent heavy rains are rapidly filling the tank up.