Two tips for farmers who have bought rainwater tanks
If after reading about the benefits of using rainwater tanks you have purchased a few for your farm, you'll probably find these tips interesting.
Always check that you have fully closed the tanks' taps
Most rainwater tanks come with small taps at their bases that allow people to quickly pour some of the water inside them into a portable container or to attach a hose to the tank. If the tanks you've bought have this feature, you must be very careful to ensure that the taps are tightly closed after you're finished using them. The reason for this is as follows; during the seasons when there is plenty of rainfall and you are not reliant on the water in these tanks to water your crops or hydrate your livestock, you might go weeks or months without even looking at them.
If during your final visit before the rainy season, you forget to fully close one of the tank's taps, the steady dripping of that tap over the next few weeks or months (i.e. the period when there is lots of rainfall and you're not paying enough attention to the tanks to notice this leak), could result in the continuous depletion of the rainwater that lands in it. If this happens, you might find that when a dry spell eventually arrives and your crops and livestock are in desperate need of your conserved rainwater, there is actually very little of it left in the affected tank. As such, it's vital to double-check that the taps are completely closed after you're done using them.
Keep an eye on the condition of any rainwater than will be consumed by your livestock
It is usually fine to give animals rainwater to drink. However, if you're going to be using the water you collect in your tanks for this purpose, then you should keep an eye on this water to ensure that it does not get contaminated before you give it to your farm animals. For example, before pouring water from this into your cattle's water trough, you should pour some into a glass and then hold it up to the light, to check for visible contaminants (like dirt or large clusters of mould spores) and then sniff it, to check for strong odours (as clean water is usually odourless).
The reason for this is as follows; if you don't wash out the tanks regularly or if you sometimes forget to put the tanks' lids back on after checking the water levels inside them, the water in them may get dirty. By doing a quick check for signs of contamination before you give this water to your animals, and using another water source if you notice the water has a weird smell or visible contaminants, you can avoid making them ill. If you do suspect that you've unintentionally contaminated your collected rainwater, don't worry; you can still use it for other farming activities, like watering your crops and washing your farm's yard.
For more information, reach out to a local rainwater tank supplier.
