Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Chatting => Chatting on the Plot => Topic started by: mrs bouquet on June 13, 2018, 11:09

Title: Saving Water
Post by: mrs bouquet on June 13, 2018, 11:09
I was bought up not to waste anything !  Which I try very hard to live by.
We do need some rain here, its very dry and dusty.  A few days ago, it occurred to me how much water goes down the basins when running the tap to get hot water, so I stuck the kettle under the tap, and then some jugs, and was amazed that it was 3 litres of cold water.  At bed time I normally empty the kettle (although its only ever got 1/2 ltr in)  last night, into the watering can, and the same when I ran the kitchen tap today. I cannot believe that I have about 6 to 7 litres of water for my veg and plants.  So I let it stand for a few hours, and then plants are all very happy.  What do you save and how ?   :lol: :D :D :D  regards Mrs Bouquet
Title: Re: Saving Water
Post by: mumofstig on June 13, 2018, 11:30
I always save the first bucketful, before it runs hot, when I'm running a bath or the shower - I can't get it down the stairs without splashing everywhere, so use it to flush the loo a couple of times. It all helps.

My friend leaves all the water there after she has her daily bath, and uses it by the bucketful to flush her loo. It always makes me smile - but makes perfect sense, we really shouldn't be using drinking water to flush the toilet!
Title: Re: Saving Water
Post by: Toosje on June 13, 2018, 16:50
I used to do the same: catch the water before warm water for the shower and use it to flush the toilet.

In the summer I often have a big bowl in the sink: all the rinsing of things and vegetables.. When full I throw it in the garden where it is most needed.. It is easy a bowl or 3 per day which amounts up to 6 liters..

The flowers are happy with it  :)

I would love to start saving kitchen scraps to make my own stock but haven't got round to it yet!
Title: Re: Saving Water
Post by: JayG on June 13, 2018, 17:07
My CH boiler has a setting which pre-heats a small quantity of water so the waste of water waiting for it to come through hot is minimised. Trouble is of course, this facility uses more gas, so you're making economies with one resource at the expense of another.  ::)

I'd probably use it if a water shortage was declared or threatened, meanwhile I just try to be sensible about everyday water use.
Title: Re: Saving Water
Post by: grinling on June 13, 2018, 20:07
FIL used to turn shower on, wetted and turned off, soaped, then quick rinse. Used it to flush loo, by capturing it before it went down outside drain.
He was given water butts by the water company when they fitted the meter. Also left containers outside to fill up and used it for handwashing clothes (toilet again).
He used about £2 of water in a year.
Title: Re: Saving Water
Post by: jaydig on June 13, 2018, 20:16
I've always thought that every new house should be built with a large submerged tank into which the water from the roof, bath and shower should drain, and this water should then be used to flush the toilet. If the tank was equipped with some sort of valve to allow mains water into it only when it was empty, this would save gallons of wasted water, and possibly help to alleviate flooding in some areas by minimising the amount of water that actually drains into the land.
Title: Re: Saving Water
Post by: al78 on June 16, 2018, 22:51
It would be good if new builds were fitted with rainwater harvesting, which could be used in the toilet and washing machine. Unlikely to happen, as developers are only interested in throwing houses up for the lowest cost and maximum profit.
Title: Re: Saving Water
Post by: Growster... on June 17, 2018, 07:27
The house my dad built had a water supply from the roof, as the mains pipe was too far away.

We always boiled drinking water, or used a filter like this...

'Grey water' is the way to go, because a separate tank is used for water for washing etc, and then used for the loo.

But as mentioned above, developers won't even bother to consider such a system.
Title: Re: Saving Water
Post by: mrs bouquet on June 17, 2018, 12:39
I have had all my long hair cut very very short,  It only takes 30 second now to wash it.
Today before my shower, I tried to stick the kettle under the shower head - it didn't fit - however the whole bathroom and me all got a very good drenching.   I will try a bucket tomorrow  ::) ::)  Mrs Bouquet
Title: Re: Saving Water
Post by: Aunt Sally on June 17, 2018, 13:01
What a fantastic water jar Mr G.  :D
Title: Re: Saving Water
Post by: snowdrops on June 17, 2018, 13:12
I have had all my long hair cut very very short,  It only takes 30 second now to wash it.
Today before my shower, I tried to stick the kettle under the shower head - it didn't fit - however the whole bathroom and me all got a very good drenching.   I will try a bucket tomorrow  ::) ::)  Mrs Bouquet

Depends on your system but I didn’t think you were supposed to use water from the hot tap for drinking/cooking etc?
Title: Re: Saving Water
Post by: mrs bouquet on June 17, 2018, 14:23
I only use my saved water for flushing the loo and watering the garden.  The water for the garden, I leave for about 24 hours outside in buckets, in the belief that anything nasty ie: chemicals etc will evaporate. The plants are all looking good so far.  Mrs Bouquet
Title: Re: Saving Water
Post by: snowdrops on June 17, 2018, 15:56
I only use my saved water for flushing the loo and watering the garden.  The water for the garden, I leave for about 24 hours outside in buckets, in the belief that anything nasty ie: chemicals etc will evaporate. The plants are all looking good so far.  Mrs Bouquet

It was you saying you tried to stick the kettle under the shower head I thought you were going to make tea with it 🤔😊
Title: Re: Saving Water
Post by: mrs bouquet on June 17, 2018, 16:22
I only use my saved water for flushing the loo and watering the garden.  The water for the garden, I leave for about 24 hours outside in buckets, in the belief that anything nasty ie: chemicals etc will evaporate. The plants are all looking good so far.  Mrs Bouquet

It was you saying you tried to stick the kettle under the shower head I thought you were going to make tea with it 🤔😊


No, (although on a bad day I might   :D)   No, the only reason I took the kettle in, was because the shower room is next to the kitchen, and I thought it would be a good way to carry through the kitchen out to the cans and buckets.  I think that's really funny and I shall chuckle all evening.  Love  Mrs Bouquet  (Fancy a quick cuppa anyone  !!)
Title: Re: Saving Water
Post by: Growster... on June 17, 2018, 19:43
What a fantastic water jar Mr G.  :D

It was just a normal job, Aunty!

Dad once showed me the mud which the ceramic filter collected, and we never really worried much...

Mum loved the soft water for washing etc, and when we went on the mains in the late fifties, she moaned like hell...

Bless...