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How Water Tanks Help Build Resilient Homes
When you build in a bushfire-prone area, choosing the right water tanks is crucial
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With our extreme weather conditions, bushfires are a fact of life in Australia. Preparation is the name of the game if you live in a bushfire-prone area. Good design, careful construction and smart selection of products will not only help keep your home safe in the event of a fire, but its occupants too.
Bushfire-resistant water tanks are a key element of any bushfire-safe strategy, ensuring that you have a ready and reliable supply of water that won’t let you down when you need it most – something that architect Nick Turner, who has three bushfire-safe Kingspan water tanks on his rural Kangaroo Valley, NSW, property, found out when infernos threatened his home in the summer of 2020.
Miraculously, the house survived, while the land around it was left a scorched earth – highlighting the critical importance of bushfire-safe design in vulnerable areas.
Bushfire-resistant water tanks are a key element of any bushfire-safe strategy, ensuring that you have a ready and reliable supply of water that won’t let you down when you need it most – something that architect Nick Turner, who has three bushfire-safe Kingspan water tanks on his rural Kangaroo Valley, NSW, property, found out when infernos threatened his home in the summer of 2020.
Miraculously, the house survived, while the land around it was left a scorched earth – highlighting the critical importance of bushfire-safe design in vulnerable areas.
The house before the fire
Architect: Turner Studios; Photography: Brett Boardman
Protecting your property
If you’re building or renovating in a designated bushfire zone, having a static water supply on-site is likely to be a condition of your development application. A water supply should be available at all times to assist you and the local fire authority protect your home or prevent a bushfire.
The tank should be easy to locate and fitted with a fire-fighting outlet. The size of the tank and its specific requirements will depend on your lot size, which is set by the Rural Fire Service.
Water allocated for fire-fighting purposes can be stored in a separate water tank or it can be stored together with household water in one tank as long as certain criteria are met.
Architect: Turner Studios; Photography: Brett Boardman
Protecting your property
If you’re building or renovating in a designated bushfire zone, having a static water supply on-site is likely to be a condition of your development application. A water supply should be available at all times to assist you and the local fire authority protect your home or prevent a bushfire.
The tank should be easy to locate and fitted with a fire-fighting outlet. The size of the tank and its specific requirements will depend on your lot size, which is set by the Rural Fire Service.
Water allocated for fire-fighting purposes can be stored in a separate water tank or it can be stored together with household water in one tank as long as certain criteria are met.
The importance of choosing quality
Bushfire-resistant water tanks can cope with bushfires. Unlike plastic tanks, which will melt in extreme temperatures, they are crafted from non-combustible materials such as heavy-duty steel so you can access lifesaving water when you need it (and won’t have to go to the expense of replacing the tank after the fire has subsided).
Kingspan’s range of fire-resistant water tanks are among the best on the market. Their heavy-duty Aquaplate steel tanks can store up to 29,000 litres of water and come with an optional fire-fighting package, which includes a six-metre suction line, a 36-metre pressure hose and an outlet on the lower portion of the tank that is compatible with your local fire services’s hoses.
Bushfire-resistant water tanks can cope with bushfires. Unlike plastic tanks, which will melt in extreme temperatures, they are crafted from non-combustible materials such as heavy-duty steel so you can access lifesaving water when you need it (and won’t have to go to the expense of replacing the tank after the fire has subsided).
Kingspan’s range of fire-resistant water tanks are among the best on the market. Their heavy-duty Aquaplate steel tanks can store up to 29,000 litres of water and come with an optional fire-fighting package, which includes a six-metre suction line, a 36-metre pressure hose and an outlet on the lower portion of the tank that is compatible with your local fire services’s hoses.
Three Kingspan round water tanks helped protect Turner’s property
An architect’s story of survival
Architect Nick Turner installed three Kingspan rainwater tanks as part of a comprehensive fire-safety strategy when building his Kangaroo Valley home 15 years ago.
The three Kingspan Made to Measure round water tanks – one measuring 3,000 litres and two measuring 10,350 litres each that draw water from the green roof – are situated beside the house.
They are crafted from highly durable Aquaplate steel in Colorbond Night Sky to complement the home’s earthy colour palette and are fitted with Kingspan’s fire-fighting package.
An architect’s story of survival
Architect Nick Turner installed three Kingspan rainwater tanks as part of a comprehensive fire-safety strategy when building his Kangaroo Valley home 15 years ago.
The three Kingspan Made to Measure round water tanks – one measuring 3,000 litres and two measuring 10,350 litres each that draw water from the green roof – are situated beside the house.
They are crafted from highly durable Aquaplate steel in Colorbond Night Sky to complement the home’s earthy colour palette and are fitted with Kingspan’s fire-fighting package.
When calamitous fires tore through the valley in January 2020, Turner’s home was directly in their path. But having planned for the inevitable when constructing his home, he felt ready. “We decided to stay and save the house – my two brothers, two guys that help me out on the property and a mate. We thought we were prepared for what was coming but we had no idea.
“We had no RFS support. We were the only stupid people up here for 15 kilometres,” he says.
For nine hours, the team battled to save Turner’s property. They kept a ‘halo’ watering system running that was connected to the three water tanks, which saturated everything around the house as it was engulfed in embers.
Turner’s careful forward planning and the team’s efforts meant the house survived, while the area beyond its perimeter was destroyed.
“We had no RFS support. We were the only stupid people up here for 15 kilometres,” he says.
For nine hours, the team battled to save Turner’s property. They kept a ‘halo’ watering system running that was connected to the three water tanks, which saturated everything around the house as it was engulfed in embers.
Turner’s careful forward planning and the team’s efforts meant the house survived, while the area beyond its perimeter was destroyed.
A smart strategy
In normal conditions, the Kingspan water tanks supplied everyday potable water to the house, but during the fires Turner describes them as “a critical part of our defence strategy”.
“Choosing the right products and materials when you’re living in a fire-danger zone is critical for not just your home’s survival, but your own,” he says.
For over 85 years, Kingspan have manufactured and supplied long-lasting, quality water tanks and accessories for Australian homes and businesses.
The water tanks in Kingspan’s Made to Measure range are individually made to perfectly suit any space. Manufactured from quality Aquaplate steel, you can choose from the full range of Colorbond colours and four different shapes to match your style.
You can use Kingspan’s Size-a-Lator tool to custom design a water tank to suit your needs and add any fire-fighting fittings to protect your property. For professionals, Building Information Modelling (BIM) files and other resources are available on their website to help specify Kingspan products.
In normal conditions, the Kingspan water tanks supplied everyday potable water to the house, but during the fires Turner describes them as “a critical part of our defence strategy”.
“Choosing the right products and materials when you’re living in a fire-danger zone is critical for not just your home’s survival, but your own,” he says.
For over 85 years, Kingspan have manufactured and supplied long-lasting, quality water tanks and accessories for Australian homes and businesses.
The water tanks in Kingspan’s Made to Measure range are individually made to perfectly suit any space. Manufactured from quality Aquaplate steel, you can choose from the full range of Colorbond colours and four different shapes to match your style.
You can use Kingspan’s Size-a-Lator tool to custom design a water tank to suit your needs and add any fire-fighting fittings to protect your property. For professionals, Building Information Modelling (BIM) files and other resources are available on their website to help specify Kingspan products.
Kingspan Rhino tank
Stepping it up
Having been so impressed with how his Kingspan water tanks performed during the crisis, Turner recently commissioned a new Kingspan Rhino water tank to provide an additional 104,269 litres of water storage to his property.
Kingspan Rhino tanks are built tough in Bluescope Zincalume steel or in the full range of Colorbond colours to suit harsh Australian conditions and complement architecturally designed homes.
Stepping it up
Having been so impressed with how his Kingspan water tanks performed during the crisis, Turner recently commissioned a new Kingspan Rhino water tank to provide an additional 104,269 litres of water storage to his property.
Kingspan Rhino tanks are built tough in Bluescope Zincalume steel or in the full range of Colorbond colours to suit harsh Australian conditions and complement architecturally designed homes.
Kingspan Rhino tank 3D model
Water capacities range from 26,000 litres to 365,000 litres. All tanks come with a special seven-layer liner to keep water fresh, and a 20-year conditional warranty for ultimate peace of mind.
You can take a 3D tour of a Rhino water tank and explore the inside and outside of the tank here.
More: Learn more about Kingspan’s range of water tanks here.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Water capacities range from 26,000 litres to 365,000 litres. All tanks come with a special seven-layer liner to keep water fresh, and a 20-year conditional warranty for ultimate peace of mind.
You can take a 3D tour of a Rhino water tank and explore the inside and outside of the tank here.
More: Learn more about Kingspan’s range of water tanks here.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Kingspan Water formerly known as Tankworks, produces high quality steel water tanks and accessories out of three... Read More
Kingspan Water formerly known as Tankworks, produces high quality steel water tanks and accessories out of three... Read More
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Yes, this is a sponsored story, but an oh so important topic. This story focused on firefighting but there are lots of reasons why house owners should be storing their own water. Well done Kingspan and Houzz
This is so important to share with so many homes in bush fire areas, thank you Houzz, Kingspan and Nick Turner this is such a great story.