Rainwater tank water quality testing in Western Sydney, Australia

Stormwater quality and quantity are two important elements in urban water cycle management. In Australia, rainwater tanks are often used to supplement mains water, as part of government regulation or as the sole supply of fresh water in many rural households. In addition, rainwater tanks could have other applications such as managing the quantity of stormwater runoff and stormwater quality. A scan of available literature indicated that data for the quality of tank water in Western Sydney in Australia is scarce in the public domain. A study was undertaken to determine the overall water quality of generic rainwater tanks in Western Sydney in Australia. The water quality testing indicates that significant treatment of the overflows of the rainwater tanks is required and that the rainwater tanks often provide readings above the drinking water guidelines.