What to Think About Before Installing a New Water Tank at Your Property
Installing a water tank is one of the best long-term investments you can make for a new build or rural property in New Zealand. Whether you are completely reliant on tank water or simply supplementing your supply, a well-planned setup can provide reliable, clean water for years to come.
However, many homeowners focus only on the size or appearance of the tank itself. In reality, the location, accessibility, and surrounding environment are just as important. A poorly positioned tank can quickly become difficult to maintain, hard to clean, and more vulnerable to contamination.
Planning ahead now can save major headaches later.
Tank Access Matters More Than You Think
One of the biggest mistakes people make is hiding tanks somewhere difficult to reach. While tanks are not always the prettiest part of a property, maintenance access should always come first.
Vehicle Access
Professional tank cleaning equipment often requires a service truck to park reasonably close to the tank. Before installation, think about:
- Is there enough room for a truck to park nearby?
- Are there steep banks, fences, retaining walls, or landscaping in the way?
- Will future access still work once gardens or decks are completed?
A tank that is easy to access will always be easier and more affordable to maintain long term.
Hatch Accessibility
The tank hatch should always remain fully accessible for inspections and cleaning. This is especially important for tanks installed:
- Under decks
- Under roofing
- Beside retaining walls
- Behind landscaping
- In enclosed spaces
If you are hiding a tank beneath a deck, installing a large hatch opening is essential. Small access points may seem fine during construction, but they create major issues once the tank eventually needs servicing.
Hiding Your Tank the Right Way
Most homeowners want tanks tucked away out of sight, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, keeping tanks shaded can actually help water quality by reducing water temperature during summer.
The key is balancing appearance with practicality.
Avoid Heavy Plant Coverage
A common mistake is hiding tanks directly under large trees, dense vegetation, or climbing vines. While this may provide good cover, it also creates ongoing maintenance problems.
Overhanging trees can lead to:
- Leaves and twigs washing into the tank
- Blocked gutters and downpipes
- Increased sediment buildup
- Higher risk of bacterial contamination
- Reducing accessibility
Roots or plant matter can find their way into the tank through gaps in the lid or pipework, potentially causing damage to the tank and compromising your water supply.
Over time, organic debris sitting in your water system can contribute to bacterial contamination issues. Instead, aim for a location that offers some shade while still remaining open enough to manage debris easily.
Choosing the Right Tank Size and Number
When planning a new water tank supply or reviewing if your storage capacity is right for your needs, it is important to think about how much water your household will actually use. For rainwater systems, the ideal storage capacity depends on your roof catchment area, local rainfall, and daily water consumption.
If you are unsure how much storage you need, a rainwater harvesting calculator, such as this one available on Devan’s website can help you determine your best option. It can help estimate both the right tank size for your property and determine whether one tank or multiple connected tanks would be the best fit.
If your property is supplied by a bore or spring, your storage requirements may differ. In these situations, the yield of the water source and the reliability of the pump become just as important as the tank size itself.
Getting the sizing right from the outset can help ensure you have a reliable water supply throughout the year while avoiding unnecessary installation costs, and in the case of rainfed systems, water delivery costs.
Your Roof Is Part of Your Water Supply
For rainwater-fed systems, your roof becomes the collection surface for your drinking water. Whatever lands on the roof eventually has the potential to end up inside the tank. That is why gutter and downpipe planning matters just as much as the tank itself.
Check your roofing material is safe for potable water collection. This is something the supplier/manufacturer should be able to advise on.
Preventative Systems Worth Installing Early
Adding preventative systems during installation is far easier than retrofitting them later. Useful additions include:
- Leaf diverters
- Gutter whiskers
- Flush caps
- Tank inlet strainers
These systems help minimise debris entering the tank while still allowing you to maximise rainwater collection.
Think About Future Maintenance
It is also worth considering how easy your gutters and roof will be to clean in the future. If gutters are difficult to access or surrounded by heavy tree coverage, regular maintenance becomes much harder to stay on top of.
Inground Tanks: The Pros and Cons
Inground tanks are becoming increasingly popular in New Zealand, particularly on modern builds where homeowners want to maximise outdoor space or avoid the appearance of large tanks. They can work extremely well, but there are a few important things to think about first.
Benefits of Inground Tanks
Inground systems offer several advantages:
- Water stays naturally cooler underground
- Tanks are hidden from view
- Outdoor space is preserved
- Reduced exposure to sunlight can help limit algae growth
Important Things to Watch For
Accessibility becomes even more important with inground systems. Before installation, think carefully about:
- Is the hatch large enough for future cleaning?
- Will landscaping block access later?
- Is drainage around the tank sufficient?
- Could flooding become an issue during heavy rain?
- Are the risers high enough to prevent groundwater incursion?
One of the biggest mistakes is paving, decking, or permanently landscaping over access points. A tank should still be practical to inspect and maintain years down the line.
Avoid planting a garden over the top of your tanks as you simply increase the risk of ground water incursion. Significant trees with their root systems should be kept a good distance away as the roots can cause damage in the long term. For obvious reasons in ground tanks should also be sited as far away as possible from septic tanks/fields. Further, if you can, keep pipe inlets open for inspection. Ground movement from settling or earthquakes is common and this allows you to check connections have not been compromised and fix more easily if that happens.
If you are wanting a full rundown on underground tank maintenance, check out our blog here.
Plan Your Filtration Early
If your tank water will be used for drinking or household use, UV filtration should always be part of the initial setup plan.
A well-designed UV filtration system helps protect your household from sediment and bacterial contamination. Planning your system early allows filters to be installed in an accessible location, keeps equipment protected from weather exposure, leaves room for future servicing, and helps avoid expensive retrofits later on. Simple access to filters and UV systems makes routine maintenance far easier moving forward.
Final Thoughts
Installing a water tank is about far more than simply choosing a size and location. Thinking ahead about accessibility, maintenance, surrounding vegetation, and long-term practicality will make a huge difference to the life of your system and the quality of your water.
A well-planned setup is easier to maintain, more efficient to clean, and far better equipped to provide safe, reliable water for years to come.
If you are planning a new tank installation and want expert advice before getting started, the Safe H2O team is here to help. From tank placement and filtration guidance to future-proofing your setup, we can help you build a system designed to last.