Australian property owners are being urged to conduct regular checks on their water tanks following a rise in reports of “unusual” and potentially hazardous discoveries.
As drought conditions persist across large swathes of the country, animals in search of water are increasingly finding themselves trapped in backyard tanks, leading to serious health risks for residents.
The decomposition of these animals can contaminate the water supply, introducing harmful – and potentially life-threatening – bacteria such as E. coli that could also pose potential legal ramifications for landlords who fail to clean their tanks regularly.
Pristine Waster Systems tank cleaner Tom Hannan said it only took for an animal to defecate from roof to cause contamination but in other cases, the cause was more sinister.
Water tanks can be major health hazzaeds and cleaners regular finds unusual sources for bad smells and taste. Source: Facebook/PristineWaterSystems
What was meant to be a simple tank check earlier this year, quickly turned grim when the team discovered the rotting remains of the kangaroo inside the tank. Source: Facebook/PristineWaterSystems
Tank cleaners in Victoria pulled out this possum earlier this year. Source: Facebook/PristineWaterSystems
“At the moment, in the majority of Australia, it’s been raining so much that the animals aren’t looking for water but obviously, when it goes dry, snakes, rats and all sorts of animals can sense the water and try to get into the tanks to get to it,” he said.
“If the tanks aren’t sealed properly, if there’s any broken intake pipes, or if there’s no strainer, or the overflow isn’t sealed, anything that can get to the top of the tank can fall in.
“So I’ve pulled out all sorts of things. Snakes are pretty common in Queensland as are toads in ground concrete tanks. I’ve been in thanks before that had 30 to 40 toads in them and in multiple stages of decomposition. But the worst ones are possums.
“But recently, we got a kangaroo out of a (ground) tank in Woodford. The kangaroo hopped across the tank, slipped and fell through a hole. Unfortunately the (owners of the property) were away and didn’t get back for a week and when they got back from holiday and had a shower, they figured out something was wrong.”
Potential legal risks for landlords
Mr Hannan advised that tanks should be professionally inspected and cleaned every two years to avoid potential legal ramifications.
“A massive issue we’re dealing with is people in rental properties. So, if you’re renting a property through a real estate (firm) there’s a large percentage of people that don’t even get told how the system works and that they need to clean the strains and keep the roof clean – because it’s not just the tanks.
“A lot of people wash their roofs and don’t disconnect the water from the tank so it washes all the crap straight in. And that’s really bad. That’s a really bad smell and tasting.
“And a lot of them (clients) are in rentals and Airbnbs, where people obviously will get sick and then the landlords and Airbnb hosts can get in a bit of trouble.”
Yes, even snakes can make it into your tanks. Source: Facebook/PristineWaterSystems
…as can toads: Source: Facebook/PristineWaterSystems
Mr Hannan said the average cleaning cost for a small residential water tank started at around $250 up to $450 to $500 for a 50,000 concrete water tank.
“You’ve probably heard a lot of farmers or people saying ‘oh, we’ve never had a bloody problem. I’ve been drinking this water for 40 years’ but they could also be having tummy issues every couple of months and think it’s Chinese food.
“I’m involved with a lot of water testing in my local area and you’d be very surprised by the fact that just because a tank looks clean, I’ve seen water tests come back…that had higher levels of E Coli than a dirty tank that got tested.
“So it’s really important that people do adopt more of a regular maintenance schedule because it stops any issues.”
E. coli: Symptoms to watch out for
Warning signs of an E. coli infection typically include diarrhoea (which may be bloody), severe stomach cramps, and vomiting.
These symptoms usually appear within 3-4 days of exposure to the bacteria. But symptoms can start any time between 1 and 14 days afterwards. These symptoms can last up to 2 weeks.
Other possible symptoms include fever, nausea, and feeling tired or unwell.
In some cases, particularly with E. coli O157:H7, a more serious complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) can develop, causing decreased urination, fatigue, swelling, and bruising. This can sometimes lead to kidney failure and death, although this is rare. The risk of HUS is highest in children aged under five years.
If concerned, contact healthdirect on 1800 022 222.
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