When the Beattie Government Water Rebate scheme (HWRS) meant Brisbane residents could acquire water tanks practically for free, tens of thousands of homeowners jumped on the bandwagon. To be exact, between 2005 and 2007, more than 90,000 rainwater tanks were installed in Brisbane, with many more being installed since.

Initially, there was no downside. They provided Brisbane homeowners with reduced water bills, the ability to fill pools and water once-thirsty gardens, and the means to wash clothes through internal rainwater fixtures. For some areas of Brisbane, the ability to store and use excess stormwater not only enabled the enhancement of homes at minimal or no cost, but it also saved houses from excessive storm damage.

The City of Brisbane became so enthusiastic about the scheme that it became well-known and rated as one of the most water-efficient cities in the developed world.

However, fast forward to the present day and there is now an epidemic of rainwater tanks timing out of their lifecycle. Obvious bulging, unsightly, unusable cracked tanks, and hideous faded and broken relics of good times are now causing residents to balk at the eye-watering cost of replacing or removal them.

What's Involved in Water Tank Removal and Replacement in Brisbane? 

Brisbane is a lot more crowded than it was in the past, with subdivided blocks, houses built so close that neighbours can shake hands through their kitchen windows and built-on garages taking up what once would have been a driveway. For rainwater tank installers, this makes replacing and removing old rainwater tanks far more difficult. Gone are the days of rolling the corpse of the Beattie government’s water rebate through the side gate and onto a trailer. The once relatively cheap and easy job has become much more complicated.

More often than not, to replace a rainwater tank in Brisbane in 2024, a crane is needed to lift the old tank out and the new tanks in, with master plumbers on site to do the disconnection and reconnection services.

This means coordinating crane companies with plumbers, making the ‘out with the old and in with the new’ process tricky and stressful.

One Brisbane plumber identified the growing issue and has created a solution specifically for smaller plumbing services, roofers and rainwater tank retailers.

"The industry is facing a big problem with water tank removal and replacement. We provide a specialist plumber with crane truck service, that helps other plumbers provide better service to their customers," said John Salmon from Salmon Plumbers Brisbane.

This type of service will save waterworks from many Brisbane homes. It reduces a stressful situation to a simple phone call that combines all the services you need to make rainwater tank use and replacement as simple and stress-free as possible.