Rainwater Harvesting Australia looking to consolidate achievements in 2020-21

Rainwater harvesting has become an important part of how Australian businesses, farmers and homeowners manage their water needs. In fact, the ABS tell us more than one in four Australian homes rely on water from rainwater tanks to supply their households and, at an international level, Australia is the global leader in rainwater harvesting. This growing importance of rainwater harvesting is one reason for the formation of Rainwater Harvesting Australia (RHA), which is a membership category of Irrigation Australia. The aim of RHA is to act as a knowledge and guidance provider in urban and regional areas surrounding all-things-rainwater-harvesting.

Mike explained that providing technical and knowledge support is a high priority for the committee.

“An important achievement for RHA is that its Residential Design Specification, a joint initiative with Urban Water Cycle Solutions, is now the ‘go-to’ guideline for above-ground rainwater harvesting systems,” he said.

As a way of identifying issues with installing tanks, the committee took the lead and surveyed installers and service agents. Industry feedback like this, as well as the specification, are important as they help the industry shape the technical information resources it needs to develop to ensure the highest standards are maintained.

“With the survey, our aim was to learn more about perceptions of the industry, as well as identify issues installers and agents have encountered with installations,” Mike explained.

He added that there was still much work to be done around operational concerns, despite the National Construction Code 2019 designating above-ground rainwater systems as ‘low hazard’.

“Rainwater harvesting’s recognition – with its own section in the code – is a significant move to distinguish it as an important domestic resource. In 2020, RHA hopes to be involved in a research grant, to ensure the consolidation of all rainwater harvesting research into one comprehensive technical guide,” he said

From a strategic viewpoint, the committee is working to ensure that water and water management receive a higher priority from policymakers, the building industry and agencies.

“Water needs to get on the agenda, and it deserves the same calibre of attention as energy,” said Mike.

To help with this, RHA has decided to apply to join the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC), a strategic move that will engender progress on a national

In this article, Irrigation Australia talked with RHA committee chair Mike Thompson to find out about what the committee has been up to in 2020 and its priorities for the next 12 months.

scale.

RHA has identified that training is an important way of ensuring that industry members are aware of standards to do with rainwater tanks and their installation. To help with this, last year it developed a training module that deals with pre-tank, the tank and post-tank care and conditions. This was administered online by Irrigation Australia is can be accessed through its website. Mike said that RHA is also working on a competency-based rainwater harvesting module that will form part of a Cert III competency. The aim is to have it completed by the end of the year.

Important ways for RHA to reach is members and the general community has been through the establishment of its ‘Rainwater Club Australia’ Facebook page as well as its online presence through the Irrigation Australia website.