[peterjf]

in hull area we have 200ltr water butts , we pay £15-00 for four,

[maxie]

On our site there is only four water troughs,the nearest being about 100 yards away from my plot,so if its dry i have some of the farmers salt lick buckets and by filling them at the trough and stacking them in my wheelbarrow can soon fill my water barrels,but thats no good if youve no troughs either.
How close can you get your car to the plot,as a few 5 gallon containers filled up at home then transported down would help you out.
I try not to water much myself but sometimes i have to.

[dig4victory]

We left a site a few years ago that had it's water supply cut off by a builder working on some new houses nearby and they diverted the supply.  Also there was terrible allottment access, but that's another matter.

My question is, if the site is rented from the council, don't they have an obligation to provide a water supply?

[Aidy]

My question is, if the site is rented from the council, don't they have an obligation to provide a water supply?

Don't think so, unless its in the terms and conditions, if there is no mention of mains water then so long as they don't charge you for it then thats that. I know of a few council sites without.

[corynsboy]

I consider myself very lucky to have mains water on our site (from Early April to October-ish). 
However as we are fortunate enough to have a longstanding arrangement with a local paper company who deliver big blue 40 gallon barrels to us on a regular basis, we encourage our plot holders to conserve water when ever they can.

My gutter arrangement is very simple and inelegant but in one winter it filled 5 40 gallon barrels.

See last two pictures
http://growingyourownveg.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-butt-it-overfloweth.html

My greenhouse is finished now and well be adding water butts and gutters to that this winter too. 
When I get around to it I'll install taps but for now I'm siphoning out water from the top of each barrel as I need it.

[Swing Swang]

Don't just think water collection, think water conservation too - make good use of mulches, wind breaks, and possibly even shade (underplanting/enviromesh etc) to reduce losses to evaporation. Think about the 'micro-terrain' around the plant to reduce run-off. Cultivate across a slope not along it etc etc.


SS