Protecting the Environment in Small Ways: Tips for Everyone

Like many people who live in a rural or semi-rural area you probably have a rainwater tank which supplies your household with all of its water needs. This may because a town water supply isn't available in your area, or it may be because you wish to be more self-sufficient and want to avoid hefty water bills.

Unfortunately, during dry spells even very large water tanks can become worryingly low on water, or may even empty entirely. When this happens you may be forced to buy water in by the truckload. This is expensive and considerably negates the savings you normally make on your water bill. A solution to this is to have a bore water pump installed.

What is bore water?

Bore water is water that is stored in the ground in pockets called aquifers. The water may be rain water which has filtered through the top layers of soil or it may be water that comes from underground streams or rivers.  

You will need to employ an experienced water diviner to ascertain whether you have an underground water source on your property. If you do, then it can be accessed by drilling down into the water table and installing a pipe which is then connected to a pump.

Is bore water safe to use?

The quality of bore water varies dramatically from location to location. It can be almost pristine, or it can be laced with chemicals or pesticides which the water picks up as it filters through industrial or agricultural land.

The only way to know for certain is to have the water quality tested. This will give you a good indication of whether it's safe and what it is safe to use it for. No matter how good the water quality is, it is still considered as unsafe for drinking, bathing, and cooking.

What can I use bore water for?

Bore water is most commonly used in the garden for watering and irrigation. It can also be used for external cleaning, such as concrete cleaning or cleaning your car. Many people also use it to fill swimming pools as the pool treatment chemicals make it safe to swim in.

Bore water can also be used in the home as long as it isn't for drinking, cooking, or bathing purposes. You can also employ a plumber to connect your toilet and washing machine directly to the bore water supply. When you consider that every time you go to the toilet you flush away up to 12 litres of fresh tank water then you can see just how much of your drinkable water you'll save by using bore water for this purpose.

While there is some expense involved in installing a bore pump it's a worthwhile investment. It will make a vast difference in how long your tank water will last during the next dry spell.