WATER shortage - tips for saving / harvesting water please

  • 14 Replies
  • 5041 Views
*

Cr78

  • Newbie
  • *
  • 3
Hi,

Water (or lack of) looks set to be a major issue this summer  :unsure:. Hosepipe ban imminent here. I have 5-6 water butts but have been trying to fill them since I took on the plot in Dec. and they're still mostly empty!

Does anyone have any tips for saving / harvesting / re-using water?

I've tried siphoning off some bath water into carriers to take up the plot to fill the water butts with but without great success. It occurs to me a lot of water goes down the kitchen sink from a fairly simple waste pipe when I'm washing up etc. but how can I (easily!) harvest this water to use at my allotment?!

Any ideas or tips greatly received.

Cheers

CR

*

bigben

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Sheffield
  • 1057
Re: WATER shortage - tips for saving / harvesting water please
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2012, 10:01 »
I found it really tough to transport water from home to plot. The classic method to collect water has been to use guttering from a shed or greenhouse to fill your water butt. I wondered about putting oversized lids on the butts like upside down bin lids with a hole to drain into the butt. This would cut down evaporation as well. A friend has a section of fairly thick tarpaulin draped over a bit of hedge. This leads water into a bit of guttering and feeds a butt when it rains. It only really works because he is at the boundary of the site where the border hedge is, and no one really sees the contraption which does look unsightly.

*

Auntiemogs

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Isle of Sheppey, Kent
  • 2786
Re: WATER shortage - tips for saving / harvesting water please
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2012, 10:25 »
What about siphoning into one of these
Fankoo Mum! xx
« Last Edit: March 20, 2012, 14:07 by Auntiemogs »
I would rather live in a world
where my life is surrounded by mystery
than live in a world so small that my mind could comprehend it...✿~ Harry Emerson Fosdick

*

JayG

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: South West Sheffield
  • 16722
Re: WATER shortage - tips for saving / harvesting water please
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2012, 14:03 »
The problem with collecting water from downstairs waste pipes is of course the lack of height above ground to play with. I don't think you can do much more than collect the initially cool water from a combi boiler in a bucket - mine wastes quite a lot in that respect.

I suspect washing-up water is a bit too contaminated for re-use, although water used for rinsing veg etc could be collected without needing too much ingenuity.

The biggest problem has to be the logistics of transporting such a heavy commodity to your allotment - I guess this ranges from quite easy to well-nigh impossible, although I suppose a purpose-made carrier as in Auntiemogs link could be helpful.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2012, 15:31 by JayG »
Sow your seeds, plant your plants. What's the difference? A couple of weeks or more when answering possible queries!

One of the best things about being an orang-utan is the fact that you don't lose your good looks as you get older

*

Auntiemogs

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Isle of Sheppey, Kent
  • 2786
Re: WATER shortage - tips for saving / harvesting water please
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2012, 14:22 »
Why not just syphon direct from the bath with a long pipe? In an earlier thread Mumofstig suggested one attached to a hand pump.

*

sowitgrowit

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: Grantham, Lincolnshire
  • 263
  • Allotmenaut
    • Money saving, grow your own-ing blog
Re: WATER shortage - tips for saving / harvesting water please
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2012, 16:42 »
Why not just syphon direct from the bath with a long pipe? In an earlier thread Mumofstig suggested one attached to a hand pump.


This will be something I look at this year - I've seen some hand-siphons on sale at about £20+post, not sure if there is a cheaper option around but if it keeps the garden alive I'm all for it.

Also, saving the water you run off whilst waiting for it to heat up from the hot tap really adds up. Between the washing up this morning and my daughters bath last night I more than filled more than a good sized watering can (I used a small bucket too).

I was amazed - I never really thought about how much went down the plug whilst hanging about waiting for it to heat up  :wacko:
Live like a peasant,
eat like a king!

*

daveylamp

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Location: Greater Manchester.Tameside
  • 76
  • happy planter
Re: WATER shortage - tips for saving / harvesting water please
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2012, 17:20 »
last time we had a drought round here I sunk a 5 gall tub in the soil/clay only went down about 2.1/2ft and got a watering can full overnight.might only work on clay but who knows.
I'll beat this heavy clay yet. now almost there works well now

*

JayG

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: South West Sheffield
  • 16722
Re: WATER shortage - tips for saving / harvesting water please
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2012, 17:29 »
The secret of siphoning using a long pipe is to first fill it from the tap at the lower end and then put the other end in the bath (no-one wants a mouthful of bath water, even their own!)

(Please don't tell me that is technically using a hose-pipe illegally - I really don't wish to know that, and hopefully, neither would the water company!)  :unsure:

*

Adams-patch

  • New Member
  • *
  • Location: Birmingham
  • 16
Re: WATER shortage - tips for saving / harvesting water please
« Reply #8 on: March 21, 2012, 22:23 »
without sounding flippant or boasting I have a tap on the allotment 100ft away so I currently use a hose as the rules say I can use a hose to fill a water storage system but not directly onto the ground. i appear to be will lucky

*

arugula

  • Winner - prettiest sunflower 2011
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Coastal Argyll
  • 24904
  • hic svnt leones
Re: WATER shortage - tips for saving / harvesting water please
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2012, 10:23 »
The secret of siphoning using a long pipe is to first fill it from the tap at the lower end and then put the other end in the bath (no-one wants a mouthful of bath water, even their own!)

(Please don't tell me that is technically using a hose-pipe illegally - I really don't wish to know that, and hopefully, neither would the water company!)  :unsure:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=89582.msg1010589#msg1010589

Wasn't me that told you... ;)
"They say a snow year's a good year" -- Rutherford.

*

grendel

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Canterbury, Kent
  • 2411
Re: WATER shortage - tips for saving / harvesting water please
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2012, 10:51 »
I think I might try the tarpaulin thing as I have 2 hedge boundaries, if I build it in the corner above my compost bins then it wont even shade any growing space.
my other half plot however, maybe a roof over the compost draining to the bath at the end would help, mind you without rain neither will fill.
Grendel
we do the impossible daily, miracles take a little longer.

*

born_2b_mad

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: Ashford, Middx
  • 128
Re: WATER shortage - tips for saving / harvesting water please
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2012, 11:04 »
Hard work I know, but how about sinking a bore hole?

We have one bore hole and hand pump between about 10 plots here, all within an easy walking distance. My nearest is on my plot so not too far for me to go!
Most also have a 'T' Bar attached so a pump can be attached, so even easier.

So our allotment is very lucky as the ban will not affect us.
Gardener's Diary Comments Here

*

mumofstig

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Kent
  • 57875
Re: WATER shortage - tips for saving / harvesting water please
« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2012, 11:06 »
without sounding flippant or boasting I have a tap on the allotment 100ft away so I currently use a hose as the rules say I can use a hose to fill a water storage system but not directly onto the ground. i appear to be will lucky

Have you double checked this?  SE Water prohibits this in it's banning order Oct 2010
Quote
filling or partly filling a container by means of hosepipe.

*

grendel

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Canterbury, Kent
  • 2411
Re: WATER shortage - tips for saving / harvesting water please
« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2012, 11:13 »
so how about if your tap is awkwardly placed to get a watering can under, so you have a couple of foot of hose on the end to enable you to fill the watering can - technically........................
Grendel

*

mumofstig

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Kent
  • 57875
Re: WATER shortage - tips for saving / harvesting water please
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2012, 18:52 »
As we have 2 threads about the water shortage/hosepipe ban - I'm going to lock this thread.

The discussion continues here
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=89582.msg996450#msg996450
 ;)



 

Page created in 0.358 seconds with 41 queries.

Powered by SMFPacks Social Login Mod
Powered by SMFPacks SEO Pro Mod |