Financial services firm Standard Bank's homeowners advice and services platform LookSee is now offering water tank consultation and assessment services with an experienced water backup specialist for household water solutions as part of its home efficiency innovations.

While using water storage tanks for rainwater harvesting or municipal backup is not new to the market, households are finding choosing the right system and understanding the installation requirements for their specific properties to be a challenge, says Standard Bank LookSee executive head Marc du Plessis.

“The water specialist helps households identify which type of water backup solution is best for their needs, such as lowering a water bill by getting a pool backwash tank or a rainwater harvesting system to cover outdoor water needs like gardening, washing cars and cleaning.”

Additionally, households can consider a municipal backup tank to secure access to clean drinking water during outages and interruptions.

“The water tank is a pretty standard piece of equipment, but where and how it’s installed depends on what you want to use it for, the conditions of your property and where you want to use the stored water. This means that a standard installation is actually quite rare, leaving households frustrated or disappointed with results of their installations,” he says.

“Given the various challenges we have seen in recent years and the challenges we anticipate in relation to water, we are focused on helping households find the best water solutions for their needs,” he adds.

“At the end of the consultation and assessment, the customer has a full understanding of the best solution for their needs and what it would cost to get the system installed. If they choose to go ahead with the quote, the consultation and assessment fee is returned,” says Du Plessis.

Coastal communities have experienced challenges with water security over the past few years and, most recently, Tshwane and Johannesburg have seen water disruptions that had adverse impacts on the local population.

“It is, therefore, essential for households to consider alternatives to conserve and efficiently use the water they have,” he avers.