Installing a rainwater tank and connecting it to the toilets or a garden watering system is a great way to improve water efficiency in schools.

Find out more about the benefits of installing a rainwater tank and what support is available.

Why install a rainwater tank?

It saves water and money

A rainwater tank reduces water used from the mains. This saves money for the school, as rainwater is free. To use rainwater tanks efficiently they should always be connected to non-drinking water devices like toilets or fixed garden watering systems.

There are rules about what rainwater can be used for and these vary from area to area. It is always best to check with local authorities about what can be done with rainwater from your tank.

It supports environmental education

A rainwater tank:

• provides a tool to learn about water management issues in the school, community, catchment and world
• provides a way for students to make planning decisions about managing resources, such as the need for a tank and its location, size and use
• shows positive action to the school community about using water in a sustainable way.
• Information on rainwater tanks in general
• List of schools that have installed a rainwater tank (PDF - 332KB)

What support is available to help install a rainwater tank?

For government schools, support materials are also available through the staff portal on the DET intranet. These include:

• using non drinking tank water for landscaping
• tank selection for non drinking water use
• tank installation for non drinking water use.

Learn about water: Definitions