All Queensland homes will pay up to $23 a month more for their water if the State Government moves ahead with plans to dismantle an existing mandate requiring new homes to include a water tank.
New research has modelled the cost of the increased water supply needed to service the population growth over the next 10 years, if new homes do not include tanks.
Research author, Dr Peter Coombes, said the modelling considered the population growth, climate predictions and existing water usage.
“We also considered operational costs, including infrastructure maintenance, to accurately calculate the impact of the lost mandate,” he said.
“Currently in Queensland most new homes are required to have a water tank. This has so far saved over 20 billion litres per year and reduced infrastructure costs by up to $1.4 billion.
“Basically if new homes no longer have tanks, the water will be replaced with water pumped from the dams and that will have to be paid for.
“It will not just be new home owners that pay the price, the $23 is an average calculated across all homes,” Dr Coombes said.
The research was commissioned by the Association of Rotational Moulders Australasia and the Rainwater Harvesting Association of Australia (RHAA).
RHAA Queensland Representative, Ms Jackie Hammond, said the industry was shocked to learn such a valuable initiative is being closed down.
“Queenslanders are already seeing increased water bills, and the government is facing expensive infrastructure costs,” she said.
“Rainwater tanks are now an accepted part of building a home in Queensland and pay for themselves after a short period of time. It makes no sense to take them away.
“The small amount of money saved by builders not installing a tank in a new home will only be added to the profits of the builders and developers, and won’t reduce the price of houses for consumers.”
Ms Hammond said South East Queensland is witnessing its longest dry spell for 22 years and “without tanks in all new homes it will not be long before we are again facing a situation where the water supply cannot meet the demand”.
About the review
The Queensland Government has announced a review of the current mandate requiring all new Queensland homes to achieve a water saving target. The vast majority of homes install a rainwater tank to meet this target. The review was listed in the Government’s Six Month Action Plan – Getting Queensland Back on Track
Rainwater Tank Facts
Since rainwater tanks were included in new homes in Queensland it is estimated that every year over 21 billion litres of water will be stored and used. This means 21 billion litres less of water to be supplied from expensive infrastructure and 21 billion litres less water to be dealt with in our stormwater systems.
By 2056, data from the Queen QWC estimates that South East Queensland will need an additional 927,400 homes. By adopting rainwater tanks for use across all new homes for an extended purpose we can ultimately reduce water use by 137 billion litres annually.
Research
Industry advisor Dr Peter Coombes analysed the costs and benefits of rainwater tanks in Queensland. The research shows residential water use in South East Queensland can be reduced by 137 GL to 2056 which will increase the resilience and security of the state’s water supplies.
Results of long term monitoring have revealed that households with rainwater tanks to supply indoor uses have reduced household water use by an average of 90,000 Litres/annum – this exceeds the requirements of the current Queensland Development Code (MP2).
It was also found the existing houses with rainwater tanks reduced water use throughout SEQ by 21.2 GL and reduced the costs to the State of Queensland for water and stormwater infrastructure by $1.4 Billion.
Continuing with the current Queensland Development Code for rainwater tanks is expected to reduce water use by 107 GL and reduce infrastructure costs by $7.75 Billion to 2056. This would be a saving of $6,508 per household.
