Master's thesis of Engineering: Optimal use of rainwater tanks to minimize residential water consumption

The objectives of the current study are to develop a methodology to estimate the optimal size of the rainwater tank at a particular location considering the local rainfall, roof area, demand for water and the reliability of supply (supply security) required; to quantify the rainwater volume that could be harvested at site using domestic rainwater tanks to minimise pressure on the potable water supply secured from traditional catchment sources until the desalination plant is commissioned in 2013; to analyse the efficacy of rainwater tanks to reduce the stormwater runoff and improve the quality of the stormwater that will otherwise flow into urban drains and to estimate the cost effectiveness ratio and payback period of installing rainwater tanks.