Mahurangimatters 16 January 2013 | 53452945

clean. advise. repair.

Phone John or Annette Carr (Greater Rodney Area)p 09 425 7477 | m 027 240 7791

Phil Lathrope (Mangawhai/Wellsford-Rodney North)p 09 431 4608 | m 021 642 668email: mobikair@xtra.co.nz

For all your water tank cleaning and complete

repair service– 12 years experience –

Totally kiwi owned & operated by real men!!

19 Goatley Road, Warkworth • Phone: 09 425 9937Email: warkworthtanks@xtra.co.nz

www.warkworthtanks.co.nz

WARKWORTH TANKS 2012 LTD

FOR ALL YOUR TANK, DRAINAGE & PIPE REQUIREMENTS

Great prices on drain coilOur concrete tanks are

handmade to engineered plans:• Water • Septic

• Retention• All shapes and sizes

go with flowWATER MAT TERS

the

When shopping for a new rainwater tank, personal preference will have as much to do with your final choice as anything else.Some people like concrete tanks because they can be buried underground or concealed beneath a deck, they keep water cool due to the high insulation value of concrete and they last.On the other hand, others will prefer a plastic tank because they are easy to manoeuvre into position and are generally cheaper to buy and install.But concrete tank specialists, Peter and Mandy Burnside, of Warkworth Tanks, say that regardless of which tank you buy, make sure it is large enough to meet the needs of the household. Mandy says if the tank is too small, the home-owner faces the ongoing cost of buying water that isn’t rainwater.“We recommend not to look at anything under 22,500 litres (5000 gallons) for a three-bedroomed house, regardless of whether or not it is a holiday home or a fulltime residence,” she says.Peter and Mandy purchased Warkworth Tanks from George and Glenda Thompson last October. The company specialises in handmade tanks, built to engineered plans which meet council specifications and Ps1’s can be supplied.The base is poured into a mould, the walls are built with galvanised chain mesh and wrapped in galvanised wired. Once the tank is finished, it is left to cure for one to two weeks to improve its strength. “It’s the strength of the tanks which allows them to be placed underground or under decks. The minuscule amounts of lime which leach out of the

Handmade concrete tanks can be delivered from the yard in Goatley Road.

Water storage a question of personal taste and budget

concrete help reduce the natural acidity in rainwater and concrete tanks also keep water cooler, reducing the growth of bacteria.”Warkworth Tanks also builds septic tanks and retention tanks. Mandy advises landholders to seek expert advice when choosing a wastewater system.

“The size and type of system will depend on the topography of your land,” she says.“Flat sites generally require a pump, while a siphon system works well and is cheaper to run when the land is sloping. There’s also a range of filters which can improve your system’s performance.”

| Mahurangimatters 16 January 201354

Call in and see us

183 SANDSPIT ROADWARKWORTH

or phone

0800 638 2540800 METAL 4 U

• Gap 8 - Fine metal• Gap 20 • Gap 40• Gap 65 • Gap 150• Limestone Metal Mix• Drainage Metal

metal supplies

mulch or chip

topsoil

• Post Peelings• Arborists Chips• Pine Chips• Cambian Bark Mix

• No.1 Screen Topsoil - Ruakaka Soil• No. 2 Unscreened Topsoil• No. 3 Fill tr

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WATER MATTERS

go with flowthe

Simple steps save water and money, and environmentin a single-flush cistern. Or you can fill a couple of plastic bottles with water and put these in your cistern. You could save thousands of litres of water a year. In older toilets (pre-2004) a full flush uses 11 litres. Check inside your cistern to find how much water you’re using with each flush. Reducing the amount of water you flush is a particularly good investment if you have a septic tank, or are on metered water or rainwater tank supply. Check with your plumbing retailer for the best option for your cistern. Take showersA typical bath uses 180 litres of water. A typical shower uses anything from 20 to 100 litres, depending on how long you stay in. To save water and save on hot water bills, take showers instead of baths and keep showers short. For teenagers, put a clock or a timer in the bathroom and reward them if they keep showers to the agreed time. Choose the right appliancesChoose appliances that are the right size for your household, so it’s practical to run them only when they’re full. And choose models that use energy and water efficiently.

It’s easy to conserve water, and you’ll benefit through lower costs and a drier, more comfortable home.You can buy water-saving appliances or install low-flow fittings, but the easiest way to save water is to think about how you use it.By repairing leaks or turning off the tap when you are brushing your teeth you can save thousands of litres a year. here’s some tips: Turn off the tapWhen brushing your teeth, for instance, turn the tap off until you need water to rinse. When you do have the tap running, turn it on part-way. Fix leaksIf you have a tap that drips at 50ml per minute (an egg cup full), you’ll be losing 72 litres of water a day. Over the course of a year, that’s more than 26,000 litres – enough to fill a family-sized swimming pool. If it is leaking from the hot tap, that unused water could cost more than $200 a year to heat. A leaky hose can waste even more water – up to 60,000 litres in a year. Soggy ground around a leaking garden tap or hose can cause dampness and condensation in your home. Use the plugIf you rinse a lot of muddy clothes under a running tap, you could be sending as much as 100 litres of water down the drain. That’s enough to do a whole load

of washing. Instead, use a bucket or part-fill the tub instead of running water. The same applies in the kitchen. If you’re rinsing dishes or food in the kitchen, put the plug in and part-fill the sink instead of running water throughout. Fill a jugKeep a water jug in the fridge in summer so you don’t have to run the tap for ages to get your water cold enough for a drink. It will also help save water when filling pots for cooking or the kettle. If your water is chlorinated, it also reduces the chlorine flavour. Scrape dishes or use dishwasher’s eco rinseRinsing plates in the sink can waste many litres of water and is often unnecessary. Generally, it is enough just to scrape plates before putting them in the dishwasher. Modern dishwashers can cope with grease and even some food scraps without rinsing first. Also, they often have water-efficient rinse cycles. These cycles may use just a few litres of water to rinse messy dishes when you’re not ready to wash a whole load. Reduce your toilet’s water useToilets use from three litres (for recent dual flush models) to 12 litres each flush. Many households use one-third of their water to flush the toilet. You can adjust your toilet so it uses less water. Put a displacement device, such as a ‘gizmo’ or a brick, continued next page

Mahurangimatters 16 January 2013 | 55472947

Well Drilling & Water Ltd

WATERQuality AssuredBob & Sandra Brunt

09 431 5571 • 027 287 0922

REIDS CARTAGE

Building beautiful pools since 1987

Valet & Repairs25 years experience

0508 667 843www.northernpools.co.nz

Owen Ward

H2O PUMPSWater Treatment Pumping Systems

Phone 021 771 878 | 24 HOurs 09 425 6002 | Email: h2opumps@xtra.co.nz

• Filtration • UV Sterilizers• Softeners and Neutralizers • Iron Removal• We supply all the main pumping systems

• WATER PUMPS• WATER TANKS• SPA & POOLS

• SALES & SERVICE• WATER BLASTERS• FILTRATION SYSTEMS

Splash Water Specialists also offer the following:• Water Filters • Pool Valet Service • Water Testing • Water Treatment • Spray Equipment • Mobile & Workshop Service

Call into Splash today for all your water needs

Visit our showroom: 31 Woodcocks Rd, Warkworth • Ph 09 425 9100 email splashwater@xtra.co.nz web www.splashwater.co.nz

Open Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 9am-12noon

RUNNING OUT OF WATER? NEED A TANK OR NEW PUMP . . .

WATER MATTERS

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KIWI WELLDRILLERS NZKEVIN BROWN LTD4th Generation Well Drillers

Ph 0800 822 822Email: kevin@kiwiwelldrillers.co.nz

www.kiwiwelldrillers.co.nz

WATER BORES• No Water - No Pay Basis

• Ground source heat loop holes

• All permit requirements

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lifetime guaranteeALL IN ONE - NO OBLIGATION,

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we pride ourselves on our professionalism, integrity and reputation, for a job well done.

Please feel free to call for a reference.

KEVIN BROWN LTD4th Generation Well Drillers

Don’t run appliances half-emptyFully load your dishwasher and washing machine before running them. Typically, the ‘half-load’ setting on dishwashers tends to use much more than half the water and energy of a full load. Choose eco-settings where practical to save water and energy.

Reduce water flowWater flow is the rate water comes out of your taps and showerheads. You don’t need your taps or showerhead to deliver more than nine litres of water a minute, yet some use three times that much. By switching to water efficient (‘low-flow’) taps and showerheads, or installing water restrictors, you can save significant amounts of water.Source, www.smarterhomes.org.nz

from page 46Saving water

Water tips y Established lawns typically require about 2.5cm of water a week. Newly seeded or turf lawns will generally need more, depending on the soil type and other conditions. If you over-water your lawn, fungus and diseases can develop and clay soils can become waterlogged. Over-watering also encourages weeds and grass grub, and the lawn may develop yellow patches and die.

y Irrigation systems that water into soil, rather than onto plants, are more efficient - they ensure plant roots grow deeper and are more resilient to dry conditions. A dripper irrigation system is ideal for regular watering. A soaker hose under mulch placed at the base of plants is also effective. These options are much more efficient than using a sprinkler.

y When doing a paint job at home, don’t rinse the paint brushes every night. You can store them in the freezer, in a plastic bag, and they’ll be ready for use the next day.

| Mahurangimatters 16 January 2013564848

Household Water Deliveries 425 8454

0800 747 928 or 027 556 6111 Purpose built 25,000 litre certified

stainless steel truck & trailer unit

Is your water SAFE? YOU are what you drink!

If you don’t have a water filter, you are the filter!Ph 0800 787 392 or 09 945 2282 “We’re your local”

Full report for tank water usersValid till 28th February, 2013

FREE ON-SITE APPRAISAL

WATERPUMPS

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WATER MATTERS

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I know it’s that time of year you say, Christmas is over, the diet has begun and almost forgotten, the fridge shelves can actually be seen again, the tree is dead and summer’s finally here – time to get on with some serious relaxing and doing nothing – except it’s now mid-January and most of us are back at work!The long, hot, dry summer has been ‘choice’ and you well and truly visited most of the local beaches and even visited some you haven’t been to in a long while – well, not since we last had a summer which was two years ago.Life is pretty good until ‘it’ happens – the day you turn on the shower and nothing comes out! Chances are you had just started to rinse the shampoo from your hair when the water stopped. As you tear around the house bumping into everything trying to find some water to wash the shampoo from your eyes, spare a thought for the bare bottom of your tank, which hasn’t been exposed like this since the last drought.How can this be happening I hear you say? We seem to forget that long, dry summers often mean little or no rain for months at a time and the water tank has been muttering to itself for some time about the 10 minute showers and

nightly watering of the veggie patch!For some, who have recently moved from the city to maybe a lifestyle block, this is a new experience. For others, the chorus is ‘how did I let this happen – again!’But what to do? The tank is empty, there is no water and this is really inconveniencing your summer! This is when it’s handy to know someone who can clean out the water tank, deliver the best tasting water and give you some peace of mind that you weren’t really drinking that sludge at the bottom of the tank. I know – you nearly fell off the ladder climbing up to the tank, just about had a hernia lifting the concrete lid and then looked in and discovered that the worms and slugs were gasping for water slowly dying in the gunge at the bottom of the tank. Talk about animal cruelty. But, seriously, that’s what some people are drinking.The good news is that you are reading this and know there are some good ole local boys who can get your tank cleaned, fill it with water, fix your dodgy water pump and then install a UV filtration system to declare death to all the water borne livestock you have been aqua farming this year. You

Ever run out of water with the shampoo still in your hair?By Steve Reynolds, owner Pure Water Services.

can even get a digital water gauge that tells you how many days water left you have so you never have to scale the walls of your tank again.And for those of you smiling at this amusing charade the ‘lifestylers’’ go

through, I am sure you will find comfort in the knowledge your next Watercare bill is about to drop in the mail box. Oh no, I did it, I mentioned the ‘w’ word. That’s done it. The editor’s letters column will be over run again.

Rainwater tipNot all roofing materials are suitable for rainwater collection so it pays to check with the manufacturer. If lead, chromium or cadmium are in the roof materials, soldering, flashings, paint or any other part of the roof, you shouldn’t collect rainwater from the roof. Rainwater can also react with uncoated metal roofs, so any metal roof should be painted using a roof paint that is labelled ‘suitable for potable water supply’.

Mahurangimatters 16 January 2013 | 57492949

KowhaiLaundry

Dry Cleaning Agents13 Neville St, Warkworth • 425 9775 • Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 9am-1pm

Save your water during Summer .....

• Household washing • Ironing• Blankets & Duvets • Picnic rugs • Sleeping bags • Beach towels

“ WE WASH WHILE YOU SHOP ”

Warkworth – Snells Beach – Matakana – Omaha – Leigh

Pool / Spa ValetsOnsite Chemical TestingWater Chemical Supplier

Pool Equipment ReplacementRepairs & Maintenance

Pool Refurbishment

(09) 422 9524021 952 338

Michelle Woolley

Simon Breeze (09) 422 9345 • tankwater@xtra.co.nz

Microbiological testing of Tank and Bore water.

Video inspection of tanks and gutters available and advice on possible

remedial actions given.

OUR AIM IS TO KEEP YOU HEALTHY!

TANK WATER TESTING

WATERTECH PLUS WELLSFORDCome and discuss your requirements with us

6 Worker Road, Wellsford • Phone/fax 09 423 8061 www.watertechplus.com

Petrol Fire Fighting Pumps Portable Engine Pump‘PETROL PUMPS’ AVAILABLE FROM $449 INCL GST

• Petrol driven • 4 Stroke Low oil alert• OHV Engine • High head impellers• 6m suction lifts • 12 month warranty

For use in your garden or on the farm. Lightweight and portable and self-priming complete with hose fittings and suction strainer.• Heads to 22m • Flows to 116ltr per minute• Suction to 7m • 1” BSP female ports• Carry frame • Rubber mounting feet

WATER MATTERS

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Poorly-managed stormwater can damage your property and the wider environment.Alternatively, if it is managed properly, it can be an asset in the garden.Stormwater is the water that runs off surfaces such as houses, roads, driveways, footpaths. In urban areas, it runs down drains into stormwater pipes or channels and is carried to rivers, lakes or the sea.In most areas of New Zealand, stormwater is not treated before it is discharged. This means there are several reasons to be concerned about the way stormwater is managed.If the stormwater system is overloaded or blocked, neighbouring properties may be at risk of flooding. Excess stormwater can also cause erosion and a damp home. Climate change is likely to mean longer, drier periods followed by sudden downpours which will cause extra strain on the stormwater system.But managing stormwater is costly. City stormwater networks cost many millions of dollars each year to operate and maintain. Millions more are spent

on upgrades and additions to the stormwater network. Landholders pay for this through rates.There are several easy ways to reduce the levels of contaminants that get into the stormwater system: y Pick up litter before it can wash into drains.

y Clean the car on the lawn, without using detergent, or take it to a car wash that recycles water and detergent.

y Sweep up leaves and grass clippings and put them on the garden instead of hosing them down the drain.

y Pick up your dog’s droppings. y Never tip paint, oil or other contaminants down a stormwater drain (or any drain) – contact your landfill about disposing of leftover paint or give it to someone else.

y Clean paint brushes in a bucket that can be emptied in the garden.

y Shovel up soil, cement and other debris when building or landscaping. If possible keep it dry and dispose of it at the landfill.

Source, www.smarterhomes.org.nz

Urban stormwater discharge best managed on site

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