Duraplas tanks alternative: Sydney tanks. For many people living in rural Australia, a water tank is a necessity, not just great way to save rain water. Many people living in rural areas are living in fire prone areas, susceptible to bush fires. Installing a fire resistant rain water tank is way to ensure your water will be available when you need it most.

Last year the state of Victoria experienced some of the worst bush fires in history with many people loosing their lives. The town of King Lake suffered some of worst bush fires with 2029 houses being destroyed by fire.

Seeing the images from King Lake just after the fires, you noticed how many polyethylene tanks had melted and how many concrete tanks had cracked in the heat. In the event that at a home occupant had decided to stay and protect his or her house, the water form these tanks could have been used to help fight the fires. Duraplas tanks alternative: Sydney tanks.

When buying and installing a fire resistant water tank you have a couple of options to ensure your tank will survive a bush fire. There are pros and con’s with each - check with your local rainwater tank supplier for prices.

Firstly, there are fiber-reinforced plastic tanks available on the market that are fire resistant. Fiber-reinforced plastic tanks are available at many rainwater tank suppliers and are slightly more expensive that regular plastic tanks, however, some come with a 30 year guarantee and will ensure you water stays in the tank in the event of a fire.

Stainless Steel water tanks are another option. Although there aren’t many being manufactured currently, they are becoming more popular due to their fire resistant qualities. Stainless steel tanks don’t buckle and melt at the lower temperatures that corrugated iron tanks do. Once again, they are more expensive and harder to find on the market.

If you’re building a new house, a great way to ensure a concrete tank stands up to bush fires is to bury them. Building your concrete water tanks underground will almost guarantee they survive a bush fire. And while your at it, it might be worth building an underground concrete bunker for your family.

If you already have rainwater tanks installed it may be worth getting a smaller, fire resistant tank specifically for the purpose of fighting fires. Make sure you also invest in a petrol water pump in case of electricity outages in the event of a bushfire. Look for Duraplas tanks alternative: Sydney tanks.