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What are Stormwater Detention Tanks: Differences to Water Retention Tanks

What are Stormwater Detention Tanks: Differences to Water Retention Tanks If you are building a new home, there are a number of requirements that your local council might require you to meet. Depending on where you are located, one requirement might be effective stormwater planning and installation of stormwater detention tank. This article is the second in a series of articles exploring the topic of stormwater and the importance of stormwater detention in property development. In our first article, we explored the differences between rainwater and stormwater as well as how each are commonly used. This article looks at the differences between stormwater detention tanks and more typical water retention tanks.

Water Retention Tanks

Water tanks are used to store water harvested from rooftops (rainwater) and/or hard surfaces on your property (stormwater). What makes them “retention” tanks, is that the water is retained to be used for one purpose or another, rather than simple allows to drain. Investing in a water tank makes good sense, regardless of whether you’re in an urban or rural area. There are plenty of good reasons to install a water tank:
  • You might live in an area where there are strict water restrictions.
  • You might be in a Council area where you’re required to install a tank or there is no town water service.
  • You might want to harvest rainwater to irrigate your garden.
  • You wish to top up your swimming pool without depending upon mains water
  • You’re sick of washing the car with a bucket.
  • You don’t want to drink water with added chemicals
  • You want to pay less for water you use around your home.

Stormwater Detention Tanks

New houses often have onsite detention facilities constructed as part of their home drainage system such. Such facilities normally include stormwater detention tanks. Detention means the water will be “detained” for a limited period. Stormwater detention tanks are intended to remain empty, except during periods of rainfall and for a short time thereafter. Unlike normal rainwater tanks, the distinguishing feature of a stormwater detention tank is that it is specially fitted with a valve to slowly release water over time. You have basically two options with a stormwater detention tank solution:
  1. use two water tanks, one to harvest rainwater and the other for stormwater detention, or
  2. use a specially made dual use water retention/detention system.
One might think simply storing water in a rainwater tank might be a good solution for reducing stormwater, however in heavy downpours rainwater tanks can quickly fill up. The emptying of stormwater by detention tanks keeps space available in the tank for more water to be detained in consecutive downpours. The slow release of water into drains from stormwater detention tanks helps to assist your local area with more manageable loads of water runoff, helping to prevent flooding. While water detention tanks are a solution, they are more like a last line of defence in dealing with stormwater runoff. You can effectively plan your property to be more sensitive to stormwater runoff by combining natural solutions with effective design. If you are looking for stormwater retention or detention tanks for your home, talk to our team for expert advice on your property needs.