Under the Queensland Development Code (QDC) Mandatory Part (MP) 4.2, all Class 1 buildings constructed after 2007 are required to save 70 kilolitres (kL) of mains water per year. The most common method for achieving this savings target is through the utilisation of household rainwater tanks.This study examines the role of biophysical and psychosocial factors in determining rainwater tank maintenance behaviours amongst owners of mandated tanks, “mandated homeowners”. This report is part of wider research to investigate the various aspects surrounding the implementation of mandated rainwater tanks in South East Queensland (SEQ). In this study, a mailout survey participatory approach was used to recruit and gather information from 754 households from four Local Government Areas (LGAs) in SEQ. The four LGAs were Caboolture, Pine Rivers, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. The included homes were new dwellings built from 2007 onwards, and had internally plumbed rainwater tanks. The responses and information (demographic, psychological) gathered from the mailout survey were analysed using Microsoft Excel and PASW Statistics 18 software. The types of analyses conducted on the data set included descriptive analysis, analyses of variance, and multiple regression analysis. These findings suggest that to improve maintenance knowledge and behaviours amongst mandated homeowners some key issues need to be addressed. An education campaign to raise awareness of tank systems and improve understanding of how to maintain their tank, thereby increasing the cost effectiveness and lifespan of rainwater tanks and helping to ensure they become a long-term and secure alternative water supply. These findings provide an important preliminary guide for future research on governance and management models for decentralised water systems in SEQ and other urban areas.
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