FW: Green Flash no 32: Saving water in the garden.

[Anna Eden]

 

DRARA 

Environment Action Group –

Green Flash No. 32,  April 2012

 

                  Saving water in the garden

If you are interested in saving water,coping with the hosepipe ban  which is now in place in our area, or just saving money, the following suggestions may help. Take a look too at the more general water saving 'Green Flash' -no 31- which went out earlier in the week.

Collect and reuse rainwater

You can help the environment by reducing the demand for mains water so less has to be taken from the environment.

Collecting rainwater is really easy. It doesn't cost much to do and means you can keep watering during the summer or whenever there are water restrictions. Most plants prefer rain water to tap water.

By using rainwater you use less tap water, which will save you money if you're on a meter. Contact our local water company Thames Water on 0845 9200 888 or go to their website: www.thameswater.co.uk

Top tips for collecting rainwater:

• Buy a water butt from your water company, gardening or DIY centre or online
• Fit a water butt on every downpipe on your house, shed, garage or greenhouse
• Increase your storage by connecting several water butts together or just get one big butt if space allows
• Remember: be safe with your water butts - always follow the manufacturers'  fitting instructions and make sure they have tight-fitting lids and cannot topple over

Thames Water are currently selling 200 litre Cloudburst water butt kit at £37.19 and  a smaller 95 litre kit at £27.19 at www.thames.savewater.co.uk Prices include delivery.

For the more ambitious (you can buy containers for up to 1,000 litres - if you can find somewhere to put one!) try the specialist websites like:

waterbuttsdirect.co.uk

Greenfingers.com or 

Simply-waterbutts.co.uk

 

Save water in the garden

Information on how to save water in the garden

• Water your garden in the cool of the early morning or evening. This will reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation.
• If you water plants and shrubs too often their roots will remain shallow, weakening the plant. A good soaking once a week is more effective. Make sure the water goes into the soil. If it remains on foliage it will evaporate, which doesn't help the plant.
  
• Collect rainwater in water-butts and use a watering can instead of a hose. If you prefer to use a hosepipe, fit a trigger nozzle to control the flow.
• Regularly weed and hoe your garden, to ensure that watering helps plants and not weeds.
• Plant flowers and shrubs that thrive in hot and dry conditions such as thyme, evening primrose, rock rose, Californian poppy, hebes, pinks, lavender and  buddleia.
• Mulches such as wood chips, bark and gravel help to prevent water evaporation and also suppress weed growth, saving you both water and time spent weeding.
• Lawns can survive long periods of dry weather if the grass is not cut too short. Even if the grass turns brown, it will quickly recover after a few days of rain.
• Garden sprinklers can use as much water in an hour as a family of four uses in a day. If you use a sprinkler, many water companies require you to have a water meter fitted.

Re-using and harvesting water

Find out about re-using rainwater and ‘grey water ‘recycling systems.

The UK habit of using fresh drinking water to flush the toilet or water the garden, partly explains the appeal of re-using bath and shower water or rain from the roof for these purposes.

However in this country, it is generally more cost effective to save water than to re-use rain water or 'grey water'. Also, efficiency measures save energy and CO2 emissions, whereas 'grey water' and rain water systems used in the house, often increase the total amount of energy and emissions (because of the need to pump the water around).

However,where gardens need a lot of watering, simple, low cost 'grey water' diversion systems ( from bath etc) can save considerable quantities of water at a time of peak demand. Similarly, the humble water butt is able to capture rain from summer showers, allowing gardeners to apply the water where it is needed most.

The DRARA Environment Action Group aims to support practical ways of reducing energy use and promote environmentally friendly lifestyles.   For further information about the Environment Action Group, please contact:

Anna Eden, annae...@hotmail.com or Martin Stott, martin...@talk21.com

 

 

 

[matt morton]

Thanks Anna, 

This is very informative and easy to read, I will forward it to my contacts. 

Cheers, 

Matt

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Matthew Morton

Green City Councillor
St Mary's Ward

9 Hawkins St
Oxford
OX4 1YD

01865 724251
07757262327

www.gaiaveda.co.uk

www.greenoxford.com
www.ecocentrus.co.uk
http://ecocentrus.blogspot.com/