Rainwater Tank Installation in Cashmere
Plumbing a tank into the house is licensed work, and rainwater tank installation in Cashmere is a job our Cashmere team does week in, week out. The suburb averages about 1120 mm of rain a year, so a tank on a hillside block here fills fast. You get a fixed quote before any work starts, and every job is done by a licensed plumber.
If we're late, $100 comes off your bill
- Licensed and InsuredEvery job done by a licensed plumber. QBCC No: 15024607
- Fixed Quote FirstFlat-rate pricing, agreed before any work starts
- Lifetime Labour WarrantyBacked by our Fix-It-or-It's-Free guarantee (T&Cs apply)
- $0 Call-Out FeesNo extra charge for nights, weekends or public holidays
What this page covers:
- How tank water travels from the roof to your cisterns and laundry
- Which approvals the council wants before a tank goes in
- What tank water is safe to use for around the house
- The upkeep routine that keeps the water clean and the tank legal
From Roof to Toilet and Laundry Tap
Rain caught on the roof passes a first flush diverter, then a screened inlet, on its way into the tank. A plumbed outlet then carries tank water to the toilets, the laundry cold tap and the garden. Queensland law puts that connection in licensed hands.
The diverter matters because the first burst of roof water holds most of the dust and leaf litter. Tipping that wash away means the muck never touches your stored supply.
The plumbing side of a tank job splits into three parts:
- The inlet: the diverter and the screened entry where roof water arrives
- The outlet: the pipework running to the cisterns, the washing machine's cold inlet and the garden taps
- The overflow: routed so excess water leaves the way the council's stormwater rules expect
A pump is a separate piece of the puzzle, and our water tank pumps page walks through choosing one.
Approvals for a Rainwater Tank
The City of Moreton Bay regulates tanks through building and plumbing approvals, so the council is your first call before anything is ordered. The council can also rule on where a tank sits on the block, and some areas require a set back off the side boundary.
Other requirements that may apply to a Moreton Bay property include:
- Mesh that keeps mosquitoes out of every opening
- The overflow tied into the property's stormwater
- A first flush diverter fitted at the inlet
We work to those requirements as part of the installation. What we cannot do is choose the tank's position or its base for you, because that side is building work outside our plumbing scope. Settle the position with the council first, then bring us in to plumb it.
What Tank Water Can Be Used For
Tank water from a roof can flush toilets, feed the cold tap on the washing machine and water gardens and lawns, since those jobs pose little risk of illness. Drinking is for homes with no town supply only, because the town mains remain the safest source for the tap and the kettle.
A short way to remember the split:
- Fine straight from the tank: cisterns, the laundry cold tap, gardens and lawns
- Not while town supply reaches you: drinking, cooking, food prep and bathing
Better water at the kitchen sink is a filter job, which our water filter installation page explains. Leaks on the line running from the tank to the house fall under water pipe repairs.
First Flush, Screens and Tank Upkeep
Give the first flush device a clean every 3 months, check mesh, flap valves, roof and animal entry every 6 months, and inspect for sludge every two to three years. Mosquitoes breeding in a tank can draw a fine on the spot of up to 3 penalty units, so the screens are not optional.
What each check involves:
Every 3 months
open the diverter and empty whatever it has caught
Every 6 months
look over the mesh and flap valves for rips, clear debris off the roof, trim branches overhead, and shut any gaps animals use
Every two to three years
check inside for sludge, and where it coats the bottom, siphon the sludge out or empty the whole tank
One Unitywater note: if the tank tops up from town water automatically, check the solenoid for faults. Unitywater's concealed leak adjustment does not cover water lost through a fault that keeps topping a tank.
Acreage Blocks and Bushfire Season
At the last census, 87.6 per cent of Cashmere dwellings had four or more bedrooms, so a tank here has plenty of cisterns to feed. Out along Forest Road and the other acreage stretches, the pipe run from a tank at the bottom of the block up to the house can be a long one. We plan that run before we quote.
Bushfire season is the other reason owners keep tanks healthy. The 2014 fire that threatened homes on this side of the suburb showed why a maintained tank, pump and outdoor tap set-up belongs in a property's fire prep. The checks above keep it that way.
How a Tank Connection Visit Runs
- 1
Get in touch
Call (07) 3524 0766 or send a quick message about the job in Cashmere, and we'll ask what we need to know.
- 2
Walk the tank and the run
We confirm where the tank stands, which fixtures will run on tank water, and how far the pipe travels to reach them. You see the plan and the price before anything is touched.
- 3
Sign off the quote
You'll see a fixed quote before any work starts, with flat-rate pricing and no hidden fees. The job starts when you're happy with it.
- 4
Pay once it's done
Pay by card or EFTPOS on site after the work's finished, or choose Fix now, pay later.
Plumbing job in Cashmere?
$0 call-out fees, available 24/7, and same-day where we can.
Rainwater Tank Questions We Answer
Call (07) 3524 0766Can I connect my rainwater tank to the toilet myself?
No, that connection is licensed work in Queensland. A plumber holds the licence the law requires for pipework feeding a cistern or a washing machine tap. Ring (07) 3524 0766 and we will sort the connection for your Cashmere home.
Is it safe to drink the tank water at my Cashmere place?
No, not while town water reaches your tap. The town supply stays the safest source for drinking and cooking, so tank water is reserved for homes with no mains connection. Keep yours for flushing, laundry and the garden.
What does a first flush diverter actually do?
The diverter tips out the first burst of water off the roof, which carries most of the dust and leaves. What settles in the tank afterwards is cleaner for it. Moreton Bay lists fitting one among the requirements that may apply, so we include it.
How often should the first flush device on my Cashmere tank be cleaned?
Give it a clean every 3 months. A blocked diverter sends the roof's first wash into the tank, undoing its own job. Ask us on the day if you are unsure how yours opens.
Does a rainwater tank need mosquito screens?
Yes, every opening, the overflow included, needs a mosquito-proof screen or a flap valve. Moreton Bay specifies brass, copper, aluminium or stainless gauze at 1 mm or less. Mosquitoes breeding in a tank can cost you a fine reaching 3 penalty units.
Call Cashmere Plumbing Services About Your TankWe'll call you back.
Ring (07) 3524 0766 and tell us what's wrong. You get $0 call-out fees, a fixed quote before any work starts and same-day where we can, 7 days a week.
To claim your $0 call-out fee, call (07) 3524 0766 today.