Water Harvesting

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My wife and I downsized our greenwaste bin for a smaller bin roughly five years ago. By downsizing, we were (at that time) entitled to a free 100L water butt. We now had two water butts. But what to do with them?

We discovered two water butts were insufficient as the water we saved did not last the dry summer months. Therefore, we expanded our water harvesting capabilities. We have a long conservatory at the back of the house, which, during a storm, means we can fill several water butts fairly quickly. Eventually, we had six 100 litres water butts, three placed strategically close to the downpipes on each end of the conservatory. We placed the butts so each was lower than the next.

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This gave us 600 litres of water. Still not quite enough to last a dry, hot summer. So, we then bought a 750 L collapsible water tank and placed this under some wooden pallets at the far end of the garden.  We also purchased a small Bosch garden pump. A battery powers the pump, which attaches to the side of the selected water butt.  

 In the winter/early spring months, the water butts gradually fill up. Once full I pump the water from each butt up the length of the garden (a distance of roughly65 feet). The water goes into the water tank at the far end (behind the shed). Once empty the water butts soon fill up again.

Then, during the dry months, I gradually use up the water left in the lower water butts and, when these are empty, I utilise the water tank. So far, I have not emptied this (although I will clean it at the end of the season). 

I don’t use rainwater on the lawn. Instead, I use grey water from the shower (although this is labour intensive as I have to carry the water downstairs in buckets-not really recommended!) I also fill the butts with water from the kitchen sink. This is clean water saved when using the mixer tap, say, from hot water to cold or vice versa. Amazing how much you can save! 

This is a very cheap and affordable system. The collapsible tank was £50. The Bosch cordless pump was £90. The 200 litre butts were £50. 

NB Under the Bracknell Forest’s Recycling Incentive Scheme, you can collect reward points (see their website for details) Under the scheme, you can purchase a 200 L water butt for £15 plus 2000 points and a 100 L water butt for £8 plus 2000 points. 

If you’re thinking of water harvesting, this system is cheap and affordable. The conservatory roof gives us access to a lot of rainwater, but even with this, you can still collect and store enough water to make a difference to your mains water consumption. We also water the veg. garden using the Gardena Micro-Drip System. The system uses the rainwater collected in the butts and attaches to a hose connected to the Bosch pump. These systems can be purchased from any decent garden centre.

If you would like to find out more about Ian's water harvesting system than please let us know.