Trickle Feed or Scheme Supply 

Trickle feed is the term given when municipally treated and chlorinated water (town supply water) is piped out to rural areas, usually within close proximity to a settlement, town or city. The water then trickles slowly into a storage tank on the rural property, which is then pumped or gravity fed to the house.

Trickle feed water supplies will often contain the same contaminants that are found in town supply water, such as chlorine, chemicals, trihalomethanes (THM’s), pesticides, heavy metals, fluoride and Giardia or Cryptosporidium. Due to the water sitting for long periods in the tank, the water may develop some tastes and odours from algae or bacterial growth, especially during hot summer periods.

For treatment of trickle feed water, you can use the same filtration systems that are used for residential filtration, however, a pre-filter may be required for situations where the tank water is dirty.

If you are mixing rainwater and trickle feed, pre-filtration is required and a Giardia or Cryptosporidium safe filter is highly recommended, with possibly an ultraviolet steriliser for bacteria. If you mix bore water or other sources of water with trickle feed please contact us for advice on the correct system for your situation.