Here’s the Problem…

When you have something ‘on tap’,  it’s perceived by many to have less value than something that you have to physically acquire and pay for upfront. For some people, being able to access a never-ending supply of clean water is something they take for granted. That isn’t the case in some other countries already. Some areas, even in highly developed parts of the world, are struggling to meet their water requirements and taking severe measures to limit the population’s consumption. Although things aren’t quite that drastic in the UK yet, water shortages are becoming commonplace and the problem is getting worse.

But rainfall is increasing due to climate change… so how can this be?

Excessive Rainfall

Wastewater can be caused by excessive rainfall overloading sewage systems and putting further stress on a failing system. Rain that ends up in an overloaded sewage system is a wasted precious resource that can cause flooding and loss of valuable supplies. To be used again, it has to go through complex treatments and be pumped back into the supply.

The UK government is introducing new legislation to help reduce wastewater caused by rainfall: New builds have to meet specific requirements when it comes to drainage and sewage systems; water companies must improve their current technology and infrastructure.

Population Increase and Personal Wastewater

The population of our country is growing year on year and this inevitably leads to higher water consumption. A study in 2020 found that a single householder in the UK could use up to 149 litres of water daily. Growing household sizes and a growing number of houses mean that more water is being used.

While a growing population is essential to ensure that our society and economy thrive, reducing the water we waste ourselves is a challenge that we can address. This will help to limit any negative impact on the quality of our future lives and those of our children. Can you imagine having to buy all the water you need upfront in containers, or even having certain days each week with no supply whatsoever? It’s not as far from possible as you might think.

What is Personal Wastewater?

Wastewater comprises any water that exits your dwelling via the sewage system. This includes water from your bath, sinks, toilet, washing machine and so on.

All this water needs to be treated before it is reused in any way as it contains both natural products – such as human waste – and chemicals -such as cleaning products – that can damage our environment.

How Big is the Water Problem?

It’s global! Take a look at this site to see the statistics. It also lists some useful ways to minimise your own water wastage as well as information about UK water conservation projects.

Reducing water waste is a challenge for us all, but some areas of the country have greater stresses put on the system than others. The southeast in particular is facing a crisis but, in all, over half of the UK has problems. Out of the 23 UK water suppliers, 16 are experiencing either moderate or high water stress levels.

How Can you Help?

We can all do small things to help ease the water crisis. This includes using some common sense: Taking shallower baths, not overfilling the kettle (this helps with your electric usage too), fixing any leaks and washing vegetables in a sink of water rather than under a running tap.

Garden irrigation, outdoor area cleaning and car washing are also activities that use a tremendous amount of water. In the garden, try to choose plants that don’t require as much water, consider if you really need to use a pressure washer on the patio and use buckets rather than a continually running hosepipe when you wash the car.

Using Rainwater

As you can imagine, when a problem has the potential to cause such massive damage to our society, some of the best scientific and engineering brains are tasked to find solutions.

One such solution is using the rainwater that falls on and around our homes. With rainfall increasing, this makes sense. As well as being an energy-effective, process-light way to obtain the water you need, rainfall also puts further stress on our sewage and drainage system when left to run off. Extensive or heavy rain causes flooding, which means that overloaded sewage systems might release polluted water into the environment.

Our Rainwater Harvesting Solutions

We supply some of the most cost-effective, technologically advanced full rainwater harvesting systems available in the UK. They’re easy to install and can provide water to use in household applications, such as washing machines and toilets. Rainwater can be used for garden irrigation, outdoor cleaning and car washing. With further treatment, it’s even possible to use rainwater as drinking water.

Using rainwater to replace some of your mains supply reduces your water bills and it also reduces the amount of rainwater entering our overloaded sewage systems.

If you’d like to talk to our team of experts about our PuraTank rainwater harvesting end-to-end solutions, give our team a call on 0330 999 1100. We’re passionate about addressing the serious problems caused by wasted water in this country and we have experts ready to help you become part of the solution rather than being part of the problem.

Sometimes it can difficult to judge exactly when you need a new oil tank. Do you invest now or just carry on using the old tank you have until there is a really obvious problem?

This is especially the case if you’ve moved into a new dwelling and taken on the existing tank. Without knowing the history of the tank, or even sometimes its age, it can be impossible to make a reliable assessment using a visual inspection alone.

The last thing you need is a tank failure. As well as causing your heating system to stop working, it has the potential to cause a catastrophic leak of oil into the environment. This is dangerous to humans, animals and plant life and can be extremely costly when it comes to cleaning up. If the Environment Agency becomes involved, the bills are likely to be huge!

What Causes Oil Tank Problems?

Tank problems can be caused by trapped moisture or sediment build up, which can mean decreased fuel efficiency and damage to lines and furnaces.

Older or faulty steel tanks can split due to the pressure caused by the oil inside them. This often occurs after a fill-up so can be incredibly expensive in terms of lost fuel. If you have a plastic tank, the harmful rays in sunlight can cause splits if the material they’re made from doesn’t contain the correct UV stabiliser.

Even if a complete tank failure is avoided, repairs are costly, heating downtime is inconvenient and decreased fuel efficiency means bigger household bills.

How Long Does an Oil Tank Last?

Oil tanks generally last around 15 – 20 years. But, this doesn’t mean that a younger tank can’t have problems. Different types of oil tanks have different life expectancies, so always check with the manufacturer of your OFTEC registered professional.

Inspection and Servicing

Many oil tank problems start from the inside and gradually make their way to the exterior of the tank. This means that it may be too late to rectify problems once the issue becomes visually evident and a new oil tank installation will be the only solution. Many homes have a tank installed against an exterior wall, this makes even a comprehensive visual inspection difficult with the untrained eye.

Regular inspection and servicing by an OFTEC registered professional can nip many faulty oil tank problems in the bud.

If you’ve moved into a new property, it’s important to have the tank inspected even if it appears to be in good condition.

Possible Signs that a New Oil Tank is Needed:

• Dents and rust spots
• Damp or wet patches, either on the walls or underside of the tank
• Instability or uneven placement (check with a spirit level)
• Evidence of oil leaks on the ground around or underneath the tank
• Evidence of oil around gauges
• Split or damaged rubber seals around the oil lines
• Using oil faster than expected

The Benefits of Installing a New Oil Tank

If you’ve inherited an oil tank and aren’t sure of its history, a new oil tank will provide peace of mind. If you’re familiar with the tank, older tanks should be replaced to avoid future problems even if there are no current signs of any faults. This helps to prevent accidents and heating system downtime.

Even a newer oil tank can have significant problems that warrant a replacement. A full inspection is needed to assess any issues.

Installing a new oil tank means:

• There is no build up of sediment or sludge than can damage oil lines and furnaces
• There is much less chance of a tank failure caused by the deterioration of any internal problems
• Protecting property and the environment from the danger posed by oil spills
• Improved safety
• More efficient use of heating oil, saving energy and reducing bills.

The Take Away

Professional annual servicing is vital to maintaining the efficiency, safety and fault-free operation of all oil tanks. Problems you might be unaware of can prove costly. It may be that these faults can be rectified but, if a new tank is needed, Atlantis Tanks has a full range of domestic and commercial oil tanks available to choose from and we deliver in industry-leading times.

We also offer bespoke oil tank design and production to cater for unique dimension or setup requirements.

Do you have a Faulty Oil Tank? Our Installers are Ready to Help…

If your tank needs to be serviced, inspected or possibly replaced, an Atlantis Tanks oil tank installation expert can help. Our tank installers have access to a huge range of plastic and steel oil tanks and accessories and we can get your tank installed quickly. Fill in this form and one of our local experts will be in touch.