Why You Need a Rainwater Tap at Both the Front and Back of Your Home

A rainwater tank is much more useful when the stored water can be accessed easily from every part of the property. However, many homes are built with only one external rainwater tap, usually positioned at the rear of the house near the tank.

This arrangement may be perfectly convenient for watering the backyard, but it creates an unnecessary problem whenever the front garden, front lawn or nature strip needs water.

One tap does not always serve the whole property

When the only rainwater tap is located in the backyard, watering the front of the property means using a very long garden hose.

The hose may need to be dragged:

• along a narrow side passage
• through or around a gate
• past garden beds and air-conditioning equipment
• around several corners
• through the garage
• across a driveway or pedestrian path

After the watering is finished, the entire hose must be pulled back, untangled and stored again. What should be a quick five-minute task can become inconvenient enough that it is regularly postponed.

On a long or narrow block, a rear tap may also be too far away to reach the nature strip without connecting two hoses. Long hoses are heavier to move, more difficult to store and more likely to kink or become caught around plants, fences and corners of the building.

A front rainwater tap makes routine watering simple

A rainwater tap near the front of the house allows the owner to connect a short hose exactly where it is needed.

It can be used for watering:

• the front lawn
• garden beds near the entrance
• trees and shrubs along the driveway
• pot plants near the porch
• newly installed turf
• the nature strip or council verge in front of the property

The tap can also provide a convenient connection point for a sprinkler, hose timer or simple irrigation system. Instead of carrying watering cans from the backyard or running a hose around the entire house, the owner can connect the equipment directly at the front.

This is particularly useful during hot or dry periods, when new turf, young plants and exposed front gardens may need more frequent watering.

Easier access means the rainwater tank is more likely to be used

Installing a rainwater tank does not automatically mean that the stored water will be used efficiently. The system must also be convenient.

When a rainwater tap is difficult to reach, the owner may use a nearby mains-water tap simply because it is easier. In that situation, the tank exists, but its practical value is reduced.

Providing both front and rear rainwater taps makes the collected water accessible where it is actually needed. The backyard tap can serve the rear lawn, vegetable garden, alfresco area and outdoor cleaning tasks, while the front tap serves the front garden and nature strip.

The two taps create a much more functional outdoor water system without requiring a second tank.

The front tap does not need to spoil the appearance of the house

A front rainwater tap does not necessarily need to be installed prominently on the front façade.

It can often be positioned discreetly on a side wall near the front corner of the house. From this location, the hose can still reach the front lawn and nature strip without the tap becoming a noticeable architectural feature.

The location should be selected so that the tap is:

• easy to access without opening the garage
• protected from cars and trailers
• clear of mowing equipment
• close enough for a reasonably sized hose
• away from areas where dripping water may create a permanently wet patch
• positioned so the hose does not need to cross the main entrance or driveway

A removable-handle or lockable tap can also be considered where unauthorised use is a concern.

It is easier to include during construction

The best time to provide rainwater taps at both ends of the house is during the original construction.

At this stage, the rainwater pipe can be extended to the front before external walls, paths, paving, landscaping and driveways are completed. The tap position can be coordinated with the garden design, tank location, side access and intended hose reach.

This is generally much simpler than deciding to add the front connection after the home and landscaping have been completed.

The requirement should be written clearly into the plans or inclusions schedule. A general description such as “rainwater tank with external tap” may refer to only one tap beside the tank.

A more precise inclusion would specify:

“Rainwater garden taps to the front and rear of the dwelling.”

The approximate locations should also be agreed before construction begins. At handover, both taps should be tested to confirm that they are connected to the rainwater supply rather than the ordinary mains-water line.

A front rainwater tap can also be added to an existing home

An existing home with only a rear rainwater tap can often be upgraded.

The rainwater line may be extended towards the front using a suitable route along the side of the house, beneath the ground or through another accessible service area. The most appropriate method depends on the tank position, external wall construction, paving, retaining walls, garden beds and available access.

Where the side passage is open and accessible, the work may be relatively straightforward. Where the new pipe must cross completed paving, pass under a driveway or be concealed behind finished surfaces, the installation may require more labour and reinstatement work.

For this reason, it is usually more economical and less disruptive to plan both taps during the original build. Nevertheless, retrofitting a front rainwater connection can still be worthwhile when it eliminates the repeated inconvenience of moving a long hose around the property.

A small inclusion with an everyday benefit

A second rainwater tap is not one of the most visually impressive features in a new home. It will not attract the same attention as a stone benchtop, high ceiling or upgraded bathroom.

However, it is the type of practical detail that the owner may use every week for many years.

A rainwater tank should serve the entire outdoor area, not only the part of the yard closest to the tank. Providing convenient access at both the front and rear makes watering faster, keeps long hoses away from driveways and walkways, and makes the collected rainwater genuinely useful.

How ARK Houses can help

At ARK Houses, we can plan rainwater access as part of the complete property rather than treating the tank as an isolated inclusion. For a new home, we can allow for conveniently positioned rainwater taps at both the front and rear, coordinated with the garden, driveway, side access and tank location. We can also assess an existing home and extend the rainwater line where practical, so watering the backyard, front garden and nature strip does not require dragging one long hose around the entire house.

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