Once you have water in your storage tanks, the water can be used with gravity to fill pools, ponds and small wetlands in your garden. This is great, as no pump is needed to direct the water to where you need it.  Another way to use the stored water is with a watering can. You can draw water from the tank to water your pot plants or even fill pets’ water bowls. Buckets can also be filled and used to wash cars, pets and to flush the toilet when the water is disrupted.

However, to utilise your stored water on a larger scale, it is better then to invest in a pump. Costs do vary depending on the size of the pump that would suit your requirements. A pump allows you empty the storage tank quicker with less effort. Remember, an empty storage tank is always better so that it is ready to fill up with the next rainfall. As the water is utilised, the tank will empty and fill up more frequently. The pay back periods on the system decreases as you replace more municipal water with rainwater.

Many homeowners link their irrigation to the rainwater storage tanks. In this case the municipal water supply is used to top the tank up should the water level in the tank drop below a certain point.