Tank water after the dust storm
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If you use rainwater tanks for water supply and they are affected by a dust storm, there are a number of precautions you should take.
Advice from the Department of Health and Human Services
- If your rainwater looks, smells or tastes unusual, as a precaution, use bottled water for drinking and food preparation until your rainwater returns to normal.
- Dust affected rainwater may stain light coloured laundry.
- If you suspect your roof is still covered in dust or if dust storms are forecast, disconnect downpipes to prevent additional dust entering your tank and reconnect after a good flush of rain. Don’t forget to reconnect your downpipes.
- Over time, the dust will settle in the bottom of your tank. Once the dust has settled this might be a good time for a professional tank cleaner to remove the dust by de-sludging your tank.
- Not all filters remove the fine dust particles from the water. Talk to a water treatment specialist or the supplier of your filtration system for specific advice on the treatment of your water supply.
For more information about protecting your drinking water supply from dust or storm events go to the Victorian Government's Better Health website.