We will be relying on rainwater for our household needs. We do have two large dams that we could possibly use as backup water sources. But my parents next door have a well that has never run out of water, and I think I would prefer to either use water from their well or drill for our own well if need be. The water from the well is very clean, coming through rock, although we have never had it tested.

We have two 5400 gallon poly tanks (24 500 L each) for washing and household use water, and we are purchasing a 3000L stainless steel tank for drinking and cooking water. The poly tanks were about $2100 each from the Toowoomba Ag show last spring, and the stainless steel tank will be around $1600 from Stainless Rainwater Tanks in Brisbane. Some people think we're mad spending so much on a tank, but there's been a lot in the media recently about phthalates in plastics and possible health problems, and so we figure a few hundred dollars isn't much to possibly safeguard our family's health. In any case the tank will still be worth quite a bit in scrap metal at the end of it's very long life (and a 25 year warranty is pretty long life).

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