The Importance of Regular, Safe Roof and Gutter Cleaning for Rainwater Tanks

When it comes to maintaining a healthy rainwater fed tank, one of the most overlooked aspects is the cleanliness of your roof and gutters. A clean roof and gutters reduce sediment entering your water tank, helping to maintain better water quality.

Understanding how to clean your roof and gutters effectively—and safely—is crucial for keeping your rainwater tank free from harmful contaminants. A key part of this is understanding that when using chemicals to clean their roofs, a common issue homeowners face is the residue from these roof cleaning chemicals contaminating their rainwater supply.

Why Clean Your Roof?

Regular roof cleaning is essential to minimise sediment buildup in your rainwater tank. Over time, roofs accumulate various debris, including but not limited to:

Bird and animal droppings
Bird nests
Animals (both alive and dead)
Moss and Lichen
Foliage
Pollen
Dirt, dust and sand

These contaminants compromise the quality of the water collected in your tank, making it essential to remove them regularly. While cleaning your roof and gutters cannot and will not prevent all sediment build-up, it will help minimise what gets into the water tank.

Avoiding Chemicals

While it may be tempting to use chemical cleaners for a deep clean, these harsh substances can leach into your rainwater tank over time, leading to irreversible contamination. Even if you follow the instructions for disconnecting downpipes during the cleaning process and leaving them disconnected for a suggested amount of rainfall, chemicals can still be on your roof. It is not an exact science! Once you have reconnected your downpipes, rain runoff can then introduce these chemicals into your tank supply. If contamination occurs, you will face the unfortunate necessity of dumping all that valuable water you’ve collected.

Moreover, chemicals and aggressive cleaning methods can damage your roof, leading to further contamination from materials like paint or off tiles. The goal is to maintain the integrity of both your roof and your rainwater tank.

If you’re thinking about using chemicals, we recommend reading the Safety Data Sheet for the product you propose to use. It can help you decide how comfortable you are with using those chemicals on the surface you source your drinking water from.

Safer Cleaning Alternatives

To protect your rainwater tank, consider adopting less harmful cleaning methods, such as:

Light water blasting: This can effectively remove debris without damaging your roof.
Gentle scrubbing: Again, brushing e.g. with a broom, can be a simple and safe way to remove debris without damaging your roof.
Eco-friendly cleaning solutions: You can use 2 common household items to safely and effectively remove moss and lichen from your roof: Baking Soda or Vinegar. First either combine 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 litre of water (Basic solution) or create an equal mix of vinegar and water (Acidic solution). Next, with your chosen Baking Soda or Vinegar solution, spray it on the moss or lichen on a sunny day. After a few days, the decreased or increased pH will kill the moss/lichen for easy removal by brushing. For tougher patches, you can also apply straight vinegar or a high vinegar water concentrate. After a few days, the moss/lichen will dry out and you can easily brush it off.

These alternative methods not only safeguard your tank water supply, but they also minimise environmental impact and can extend the lifespan of your roof, as they are not as harsh as chemical cleaners.

Additionally, we suggest having a scheduled roof and gutters maintenance routine to remind you to regularly clean your roof and gutters. This means there will be less debris to clean off each time you clean, making maintenance easier and reducing the need for chemicals.

The Importance of Disconnecting Downpipes

No matter which cleaning method you choose, disconnecting your downpipes during the roof cleaning process is critical. It is important to check that all down pipes are disconnected and are shifted away from the gutter. This step helps prevent debris such as moss, lichen, and bird droppings from entering your tank supply. Remember, a clean roof is the first line of defence against contamination.

Conclusion

Keeping your roof and gutters clean is a vital part of maintaining a healthy rainwater tank. This goes hand in hand with regular tank cleaning and installing a UV + Sediment filtration system, for optimum protection. For other complementary actions that can help protect your water quality see our blog on Flush Caps, First Flush Diverters and Leaf Diverters.

Roof and gutter cleaning are essential! By using safe cleaning methods and regularly checking for debris, you can minimise contamination and ensure that the water you collect.