Tip: USE A WATER BUTT !
Why? » More and more people in World these days are seeing the effects of the ever-increasing water crisis. Water seems more polluted than ever and it is becoming more and more scarce. Even Britain, one of the wettest countries in Europe, had to endure a noticeable drought this year (…there was a drought in Scotland as well!). In the West, we take water for granted. Most people don’t actually think about the supply of water. Water is easy to ignore provided you can still turn on a tap and water comes out! We still have the same amount of water in our ecosystem but the supply of freshwater faces a three-pronged attack from population growth, climate change and industrialisation. As it currently stands, there’s not enough water to go around. It is only going to get worst unless we do something about it and we need to start locally in our homes. We need to change our attitudes towards water use and we need to do it fast. Can we afford to keep wasting clean potable water on our gardens?
Rain is free, why not use that instead?
Almost 100,000 litres of rainwater falls on our roofs each year (UK). So when it comes to simple watering of plants, car washing, or even giving your pet a deserved wash, by collecting it in a water butt, you have a ready source of water that can help keep your garden looking lush and green as well as saving thousands of litres of good water each year. The beauty of it all is that a water butt can be anything. You can literally use anything to harvest rain water. An old tub, an old bin, you name it. These ‘upcycled’ ideas can be very environmentally friendly and certainly would be the greenest choice of water butt, however, there are many attractive and inexpensive choices out there if you think an old rusty tub would not look good in your garden. But how do you go about selecting the right one?
Below are a few hints on selecting the right water butt for your garden.
How it works
A water butt can be connected to a downpipe so that it collects rainwater from your gutters. If you are using a downpipe, you will also need an overflow pipe or a rain diverter to redirect water into the butt. Once it’s full, water flows down the drainpipe. A gutter filter will also keep out unwanted debris.
To fit a diverter or an overflow pipe, your butt will need a hole in the side, and to fit it directly to a downpipe it will need a hole in the lid. Butts either already have these holes provided or have a guide as to where to cut a hole
Tap
Look at the bottom and see where the tap is located. It needs to be fairly low so that you can drain out as much water as possible and fit a water can confortable. However, the lower down it is, the quicker it’s likely to clog up with debris. You will also need a stand to allow enough height if you want to get a watering can underneath. Look also at how quickly the water will flow from the tap. Some have a fast-flow tap that are wider than conventional taps, however, this is at the expense of them being too large to connect to a hosepipe.
Size
Think about how much water you’re likely to need depending on your plant varieties and the size of your garden. There are a range of sizes on the market starting from 100l. A number of water butts can also be connected together to increase your reservoir.
Lid
Consider getting one with a removable lid so you can clean it every so often. Make sure it’s well fitting to keep out unwanted debris and insects. If you have children, you may want to look for a lid with a childproof fitting.
Tips on fitting a water butt
- Install the water butt only on a firm, flat surface that is strong enough to carry the weight when filled with water
- Empty the water butt when there is a risk of freezing
- If the water butt is accessible by children, secure the lid to the barrel
- If necessary, drill the hole for the tap only at the marked location
- Consider getting a stand allowing the water to be dispensed directly into a watering can
