If your rainwater tank serves as the source for drinking, cooking and showering water it is crucial that it is professionally cleaned and maintained.
At first glance, water tanks may seem harmless enough, yet they can quickly become breeding grounds for bacteria that could threaten one’s health if left untouched for too long. Regular cleaning should therefore be undertaken.
Sediment
Sediments may include everything from rocks and minerals to the remains of plants and animals, as well as colored dissolved organic matter leached from decaying plant material in soils, as well as phytoplankton produced locally by microorganisms such as algae.
A river catchment’s sediment regime can vary over time due to natural processes and human activities, altering its makeup in direct and indirect ways that affect water quality. Changes to this regime have both direct and indirect impacts on its quality.
An important contributor to changes in freshwater clarity is sedimentation, or suspended sediment. While most commonly caused by floodwater and power waves, other factors may also play a part in its creation – including leached organic material in soils decaying organic matter or local growth of phytoplankton.
There are a variety of ways you can reduce sediment in your tank, including regularly cleaning it and adding super-chlorinated solutions before refilling, which will provide a deeper clean that removes bacteria or other potential contaminants that might be present.
Safe H2O Auckland provides an industry-first water tank cleaning service, operating throughout Puhoi and wider Auckland region. Their system works by vacuuming out the bottom of each tank before pumping it through a special truck for filtering.
Safe H2O’s system utilizes nanofiltration of up to 0.001 microns, eliminating contaminants before the water enters your home and being released as drinking water. Operated by Hamish Grey in New Zealand since six years, its success can be witnessed there too.
Researchers working on the Suspended Sediment Transport Engineering (STEC) project are investigating how sediment travels through catchments and how this affects water quality. Their studies involve sampling four New Zealand river catchments to develop models and more effective tools for controlling sediment.
STEC is currently collecting soil samples to assist with developing these models and working with farms in Southland and Auckland to increase understanding of erosion management techniques. Their focus includes the Manawatu, Whanganui, Oreti river catchments as well as Wairoa near Auckland.
Dirt
Dirt, commonly referred to as soil, is composed of tiny rocks and other parts, including living things and air and water particles. Dirt is essential in making gardens flourish as it provides energy efficiency benefits in your home; however, maintaining its quality may require special efforts and may prove a daunting challenge.
There are a variety of methods to keep your water tank tidy, such as installing devices on spouting that divert the initial flush of rain away from your collection pipe and installing a siphon system to suction debris up and out of your overflow pipe.
Safe H20’s Water Purification & Cleaning Service provides an ideal way to keep your tank in top shape without breaking the bank or creating any unnecessary chaos in its wake. Please reach out for your free quote – we service all of North Island.
Leaf Litter
Fall marks the arrival of autumn leaves and twigs falling to the ground to form leaf litter, an essential component of soil that keeps its moisture levels balanced while providing habitats for many different animal species.
Decomposers such as worms, snails and spiders help break down leaf litter to release nutrients back into the soil, providing essential nutrition for plants to flourish and grow. Meanwhile, other creatures use leaf litter as nesting materials or overwintering sites; this provides shelter to frogs, toads, slugs, snails and spiders who use leaf litter as nesting materials or seek refuge there for overwintering purposes.
Nutrient recycling is an integral component of the leaf-litter-soil cycle that keeps soil nutrients at an appropriate balance for plant growth requirements. Nutrient recycling also plays an essential role in mediating species interactions and protecting soil erosion (Li et al. 2014).
Our study collected leaf litter samples at two experimental sites that are part of an experimental site, in order to investigate the effects of tree species richness on decomposition rates. Peak litter production (September to November) at both sites increased with increasing tree species richness.
Higher trophic diversity among leaf litter communities was found to result in faster decomposition rates, likely as a result of an increase in small, fine-diameter root exudates which recycle nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients as they decompose. This was particularly evident at site B where an increase in tree species richness coincided with an increase in soil microbiota diversity.
This trend was clearly illustrated by an increase in microbial cell counts that started rising within 30 days after planting and eventually stabilized after that time frame. Microcosms with Quercus, Alnus and Populus leaf litter saw their microbial populations reach peak abundances by the end of this experiment.
This suggests that nutrient cycling processes are sensitive to environmental change. A decrease in leaf litter biodiversity could impede microbial processes; this evidence corroborated with previous findings that found how losing species and functional groups affected decomposition rates, leading to altered rates of decomposition rates and consequently altered rates of nutrient cycling.
Birds
Birds are a beloved feature of New Zealander backyards, yet their presence can also pose challenges. Their droppings, plant matter and other filth can accumulate at the bottom of your water tank and become an incubator for campylobacter, giardia and cryptosporidium bacteria to flourish.
Filtrate out contaminants before they cause serious issues with your drinking water supply. Regularly cleaning your tank with products like TankVac will help ensure that your household water remains pure, healthy and free from any debris or sediment build-up.
Google search can bring up many products and services that can make this task simpler, but for best results it is wise to work with an established company who have both experience and knowledge to do it right.
If you want the safest water possible in your home or business, hiring a reputable water company with modern technologies and techniques is an efficient way to do it. Reputable companies will help protect you against costly repairs later on, as well as the consequences of poor quality water. For the best way to figure out if they’re the right match for you today ask for a no-committal free quote today – they may just surprise you!