Beat The Drought With A Water Butt

As long as a month ago The Telegraph reported (predicted?) that a British drought is looking more and more “likely” after the sunny weather we’ve all been enjoying lately. The downside of the sun-kissed days is a warning from the Telegraph about the very real possibility of hosepipe bans this year. There were also concerns for fish affected by lower levels of water in our rivers. The Environment Agency correspondingly warned a fifth are “exceptionally low” and reservoirs are depleted by up to 20% compared to average levels. By May, the newspaper were certain we will face a drought this year, with the threat of hosepipe bans was raised yet again. Despite reassurances from the water companies, we could soon find ourselves suffering the exact same situation as we have for so many years before.

Gardeners needn’t despair. You can still enjoy your beautiful blooms and home grown produce right throughout the summer - without breaking the law. You can effortlessly beat any hosepipe ban using a water butt to collect rainwater for feeding all the plants in your garden. A garden Steelpump is ideal to conveniently pump water from the butt for you to use for everything from irrigating the garden to washing the car. You can also easily install a simple greywater recycling valve to turn the used water you’d normally pump away from your home into a very precious commodity this summer. These ingenious valves do not contravene hosepipe bans in any way.

All of these methods are quick and simple, and they all share one more highly desirable feature. The more water you recycle, the less you need pumped to your home. And this means less carbon emissions are produced, lowering your household carbon footprint. So all in all, I’m looking forward to more hazy days in my garden with lush plants and foliage, plus a healthy supply of home grown herbs and veggies.

Photo credit: Watering Can by Michael Law