Wastewater treatment systems will have a lot less water to treat if everyone has rainwater tanks
. While country people have traditionally relied on water tanks for all their water needs, urban dwellers have not needed them. Using a rain water tank alone for water makes you realise just how quickly that water level can drop when the weather is dry for any length of time. Country people have thus become more used to conserving their water and making use of waste water for the garden and other things.
Once city dwellers install rain water tanks for their garden and laundry water needs they will be able to see just how quickly large amounts of water can be used up when care is not taken. Using rainwater tanks in urban areas will save a great deal of unnecessary waste water filling the drains and also save householders' water bills.
Years ago all tanks were made of concrete or galvanised iron; these days, poly water tanks are more popular. Rainwater tank installation is much easier with such tanks as they can be placed on a bed of sand rather than needing a concrete slab. Plastic tanks do not have any rust problems like the older style tanks were prone to.
You can even get plastic septic tanks for the home sewage treatment system, though rural dwellers find their use does use up quite a bit of water. Treatment plants such as Biocycle or Envirocycle remove solid waste from harvested water using safe, natural processes. This makes the recycled water safe to use again.
But cities or even country towns must have sewage treatment plants such as the concrete treatment systems in QLD and other centres to service their needs. Servicing treatment plants such as these is an ongoing task and needs trained professionals to ensure that everything goes according to plan for the treatment works to remain in good condition.
Rural dwellers on the other hand, get many years of trouble and maintenance free use from their sewage systems.