Traditionally water tanks were manufactured in rural areas and served the rural and farming communities in South Africa. 2009 and 2010 has witnessed demand from a new and different sector, the urban market, with more and more people installing water tanks and rainwater harvesting systems in their suburban homes.
A typical installation is a water tank on a base with a tap on which a hose may be attached. Rainwater filters prevent debris from roofs ending up in the tanks and more sophisticated systems typically have a rain filter on each downpipe. Rainwater is supplemented with municipal water when levels get low, and this water is pumped back into the home plumbing systems.
The change in market demand has left many manufacturers with logistical challenges as manufacturing is quite far from urban centres. Transporting water tanks is a challenge as they occupy so much space. Most of this bulk is “air”.
The trend looks set to continue as people look to be self sufficient in uncertain times with a partial off-grid philosophy.