Rainwater Tank Installation SWMS
SWMS template for rainwater tank installation. Covers Domestic / acreage rainwater tank.. 8-state AU coverage, CIH-reviewed editable DOCX, available as an instant download.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Rainwater tank installation covers the supply, installation and connection of rainwater tanks that collect roof runoff for reuse — the tank, the collection and overflow plumbing, the pump where pressurised supply is needed, and the connection to the points of use, including any connection to the drinking water supply through a backflow-protected arrangement. The hazards combine work at height for the roof collection plumbing, manual handling and placement of large tanks, the electrical hazards of pump connection, and the need to protect the drinking water supply where the rainwater is connected to it. This document is written on the basis that the tank and its plumbing are installed by a licensed plumber, with backflow protection where connected to the drinking water supply and the pump connected by a licensed electrician.
Rainwater tank plumbing is carried out to the relevant parts of AS/NZS 3500 — the water services part for any connection to the drinking water supply and the backflow protection, and the stormwater drainage part for the collection and overflow. Where the rainwater supply is connected to the drinking water supply, backflow protection to match the hazard protects the potable supply, and materials in contact with drinking water are approved. Roof collection plumbing involves work at height, and pump connection involves electrical work by a licensed electrician. This document coordinates the plumbing-standard, work-at-height, backflow and electrical controls so the tank is installed and the supply protected.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Public-health hazard where backflow protection is inadequate at the connection
Falls from the roof installing collection and overflow plumbing
Crush and musculoskeletal injury placing large tanks
Electric shock where the pump is connected without a licensed electrician
Tank collapse or movement where the base is inadequate
Oxygen deficiency and restricted egress where entry into the tank is required
Microbial growth and contamination in poorly managed stored water
Musculoskeletal injury from materials and equipment
Erosion and nuisance where the overflow discharges incorrectly
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Engineering: install the tank plumbing to AS/NZS 3500 — the collection, overflow and any connection to the points of use — and where connected to the drinking water supply, provide backflow protection matched to the hazard and use approved materials.
- 2Engineering: provide fall prevention for the roof collection and overflow plumbing — edge protection or a travel-restraint system — to the managing the risk of falls Code of Practice.
- 3Engineering: prepare an adequate, stable base for the tank and use mechanical lifting and equipment to place large heavy tanks, controlling the crush and stability hazard.
- 4Administrative: have the pump connected by a licensed electrician with the electrical supply isolated, coordinating the plumbing and electrical work.
- 5Administrative: where entry into the tank is required for installation or maintenance, apply the confined space entry permit, atmospheric testing, ventilation, standby and rescue controls to the confined spaces Code of Practice.
- 6Engineering: manage the stored water quality and stagnation, and discharge the overflow to the correct point so it does not cause erosion or nuisance.
- 7Engineering: use mechanical aids for heavy materials and confirm the tank, plumbing and pump are commissioned and the connection tested before use.
- 8Administrative: ensure the work is carried out and certified by an appropriately licensed plumber or gasfitter under the relevant state or territory plumbing and gasfitting licensing scheme, with a compliance certificate issued where required.
- 9Administrative: all workers must hold a valid White Card (General Construction Induction Training, CPCCWHS1001) before entering any construction workplace, with the plumbing, gasfitting and any confined space competencies and licences required for the work.
- 10Administrative: conduct a daily pre-start toolbox talk covering the day's work, identified hazards, isolations, required PPE and emergency procedures, and record attendance in the consultation section.
- 11Administrative: consult workers and any health and safety representatives on the work and its risks, record the consultation, and keep this document available at the workplace.
- 12PPE: eye protection to AS/NZS 1337.1, hearing protection where required, gloves appropriate to the task, and Class I or Class II safety footwear with protective toecap to AS/NZS 2210.3.
- 13Administrative: review and update this SWMS whenever the work scope changes, after any incident or near miss, when a worker or health and safety representative raises a concern, when new hazards are identified, or at minimum every 12 months.
Applicable Codes of Practice
The water services standard for any connection to the drinking water supply and the backflow protection for the rainwater connection.
The stormwater drainage standard for the rainwater collection and overflow.
Fall-prevention controls for the roof collection and overflow plumbing at height.
Atmospheric testing, ventilation, entry permit and rescue controls where the work involves entry into a confined drainage structure.
The risk management process and hierarchy of controls applied to the hazards of the work.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Installing the roof collection and overflow plumbing for the tank involves work at height where a person could fall more than 2 metres, which is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS before the work commences.
This is licensed plumbing or gasfitting work that, in the circumstances described, is high risk construction work — where there is a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres — so a SWMS must be prepared before the work commences, kept readily accessible, reviewed as necessary, and given to the principal contractor if one is appointed. The work is carried out to the relevant AS/NZS 3500 plumbing and drainage standards and, where gas is involved, AS/NZS 5601.1:2022, which are called up by the state and territory plumbing and gas safety legislation, with the excavation, confined space or work-at-height controls applied as relevant. A failure in this work can cause serious injury or harm to the water supply or the public, and breaches of the plumbing and gas legislation and the primary duty of care under the model WHS Act are actively enforced, with offence categories running from failure-to-comply through to reckless conduct, and the most serious breaches carrying imprisonment for individuals. Body-corporate maxima are substantial and indexed; the current maximum follows the prevailing schedule of the responsible regulator.
Who this is for
- →Licensed plumbers installing rainwater tanks and their plumbing.
- →Plumbing businesses carrying out rainwater harvesting and reuse installation.
- →Builders and developers installing rainwater tanks for new dwellings.
- →Property owners and PCBUs commissioning rainwater tank installation.
- →PCBU safety managers and supervisors coordinating the work-at-height, backflow and electrical controls.
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word document (.docx) fully compatible with Microsoft Word 2016 and newer, Google Docs, and LibreOffice Writer.
- ✓Title page with editable fields for PCBU name, ABN, site address, project name, principal contractor details, and document revision date.
- ✓Hazard register with the rainwater tank installation hazards — each with a documented consequence, inherent risk rating on a 5x5 likelihood-consequence matrix, hierarchy-of-control measures, and residual risk rating.
- ✓Rainwater tank plumbing prompts referencing AS/NZS 3500 water and stormwater parts, a backflow and drinking-water-connection section, a work-at-height section for roof collection, and a pump-electrical-coordination and commissioning section.
- ✓Licensing and compliance-certificate prompts for the relevant plumbing and gasfitting scheme, and a respiratory protection selection and fit-test record per AS/NZS 1715 where relevant.
- ✓Worker consultation record per the model WHS Act consultation duty and a worker sign-on register (blank, expandable).
- ✓Applicable legislation and Codes of Practice schedule pre-populated for the model WHS jurisdiction with a state-variance reference table covering the harmonised states, plus Victoria.
- ✓Emergency procedure template and a revision log.
Worked example
A licensed plumber is engaged to install a rainwater tank that collects roof runoff and supplies the garden and toilet flushing, with a top-up connection to the drinking water supply. The roof collection and overflow plumbing is installed to AS/NZS 3500, with fall prevention — edge protection — for the work at height, and a SWMS prepared for the roof work. The tank is placed on an adequate, stable base using mechanical lifting to control the crush and stability hazard. Because the rainwater is connected to the drinking water supply for top-up, backflow protection matched to the hazard is provided to protect the potable supply, and approved materials are used. The pump is connected by a licensed electrician with the supply isolated. The collection, overflow and connections are completed, with the overflow discharged to the correct point so it does not cause erosion or nuisance, and the stored water quality managed. The system is commissioned and the connection tested. The plumber issues the compliance certificate and retains the records.
Related legislation
- Model Work Health and Safety Act — primary duty of care; the duty to consult workers; the reckless-conduct offence; and notifiable-incident provisions, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- Model Work Health and Safety Regulations — Section 291 high risk construction work and the SWMS preparation and review duties, and the confined space and excavation provisions where applicable, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- The relevant plumbing and drainage standards AS/NZS 3500 (Parts 0–5), AS/NZS 1547 for on-site wastewater, and, for gas, AS/NZS 5601.1:2022, are called up by the state and territory plumbing and gas safety legislation, together with the requirements of the relevant network utility or authority.
- Plumbing and gasfitting work is licensed under each state and territory's plumbing and gasfitting licensing scheme, with compliance certification required for notifiable work.
- Victoria operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, with the high risk construction work, confined space and excavation provisions applying in place of the model instruments.
Frequently asked questions
How is the drinking water supply protected with a rainwater tank?
Where the rainwater supply is connected to the drinking water supply — for example for top-up — backflow protection matched to the hazard is provided at the connection, and materials in contact with drinking water are approved. This protects the potable supply from contamination by the rainwater, and is a key requirement where a rainwater system is connected to the mains supply.
What work-at-height controls apply to rainwater tank installation?
Installing the roof collection and overflow plumbing involves work at height where a person could fall more than two metres, so fall prevention — edge protection or a travel-restraint system — applies to the managing the risk of falls Code of Practice, and the roof work is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS. The fall-prevention controls are in place before the roof plumbing is installed.
How are large tanks placed safely?
Large rainwater tanks are heavy and are placed using mechanical lifting and equipment on an adequate, stable base, controlling the crush, manual-handling and tank-stability hazards. Preparing a proper base and using mechanical placement ensures the tank is stable and the workers are not injured during placement.
Who connects the pump?
The pump is connected by a licensed electrician with the electrical supply isolated, coordinating the plumbing and electrical work, because pump connection is electrical work. The plumber installs the tank and its plumbing, and the electrical connection of the pump is carried out by the appropriate licensed electrical practitioner.
Is entry into the tank a confined space?
Entry into a rainwater tank for installation or maintenance can meet the confined space definition where the tank is enclosed, may have an oxygen-deficient atmosphere, and has restricted entry and egress. In those cases the confined space entry permit, atmospheric testing, ventilation, standby and rescue controls apply, and the work is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS.