Tank, water tank, cistern, pool, cistern, whatever you want to call it.
There are many of these installed on the roofs of houses in Spanish villages, but not all of them consider the possibility that the water can go back where it came from, and the company will not discount it from your bill.
The reason for this is the pressurization of the public water network. The high pressure makes the water only go out in one direction, towards our bathtubs and dishwashers.
But when the public water rarely stops pushing, everything remains in inertia.
With this physical inertia present, nothing should happen when you open a tap, except for water contained in your pipe to come out and replace it with air.
But what happens if in this situation your neighbor opens his tap?
THAT'S THE PROBLEM!!!!
Your neighbor will use the water from your beautiful tank, pool, or whatever you call it.
The taps, yours and your neighbors', are all connected to each other. What makes them independent is the water pressure, which is supposed to be more or less constant every day of the year and at all hours.
But if you have a nice 300-litre tank, and “the water from the street is cut off”, and your neighbour at the other end of the street takes a shower, he will take it using the water from your tank, without even knowing about the cut in supply.