Grow Your Own Magazine

With most of the south east about to turn into desert due to it being the driest winter for (2) years and hence hosepipe bans are in force I thought that it would be interesting to see how people store their water and wether anybody has had a "Eureka" moment.

We have 5 1000 litre IBC containers (big square plastic containers in a cage and sat on a pallet) on our 2 plots, two of which harvest rainfall from sheds, 2are situated by the polytunnel and 1 by the compost bins. These last 3 are filled via hosepipe for use over the winter when our water is turned off or as contingency if there is a hosepipe ban later in the year. We used about 100 litres over the winter as we had reasonable amounts of rain and our soil is in good order and holds onto moisture. I would like to somehow harvest the run off from the polytunnels and will investigate that possibility in the near future.

In our area you can get a £70 rebate on your water bill if you divert water from your gutters into either a soakaway or storage and not into the drains on a permanent basis. If you had the land you could run this into a storage facility (as Bob Flowerdew does) for use later on established crops. A win win situation especially if you are on a water meter. We at present are not quite so grand but do use a diverter flap to top up the pond with rain water from the gutters.

How do you store yours?

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Thursday 8th January at 2130hrs

I have 9 water butts, most of which the previous owners left behind (they emigrated to spain) they all fill from different outbuildings and some are those blue containers that I think were used to hold concentrated juice, so if any one knows where I can get hold of some more please tell as I have room for more. I would be interested in Bob Flowerdews storage method as I still loose loads of water once the butts are full but I think water butts are pretty expensive to buy and think the water companies should sell them off cheaply to encourage people to save, sorry I haven't had a eureka moment

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www.poultrychat.com

I have just been reading an article in The Garden News (April 5th.) It said the demand for water butts is 5 times more this year than any other year. It gives a price of £25 for a basic 100 litre one and says there will be a delay of at least two weeks if you order one at the present time. They too are looking for people to write in and let them know how we will cope with this water shortage. Afraid I have no good ideas either. I use blue barrels with a tap on.

I am fortunate, I live in a three storey house and have a neighbour, whose water runs into my downspout - thus giving me a large catchment area. I store my water in two large butts, 15'-20' apart, connected via the taps by a whose (see linking water butts thread). Thus allowing me to collect from one area but store across the garden.

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

Piglet, I think it was an article (well more of a news cutting) in either GYO or *** that was sent in by someone from one of the polytunnel makers that had "bodged" a guttering for a polytunnel.

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

I saw it Nick but "bodged" is an understatement.

As my tunnel has mdpe pipe sides I may be able to screw the guttering to the pipes (through the cover) and use repair tape to stop the water going between the cover and guttering. I am a bit wary though of killing a brand new cover (Friday is tunnel cover fitting day) by fitting things to it. Further investigation required.

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Thursday 8th January at 2130hrs

I just found the answer to my above post

http://www.atlanticonline.uk.com/products.asp?i=233

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www.poultrychat.com

some of the councils are selling water butts cheaply. I know east staffs are doing a 100l one for £17.50 but I think you have to givbe your address to get one. I'm sure other councils will be doing the same though. They've also got compost bins very cheaply, £9 for the size that's £40 in focus.

PW
Unless your tunnel is in a very sheltered area I wouldn't screw through it. No amount of repair tape is going to keep it from being ripped off in a strong wind and you'll curse the day you ever did. The strength and resistance is in the covers ability to flex and move with the wind, if you fix it it will tear away in no time.

No matter how you have to do it, I wouldn't recommend deliberately puncturing a polytunnel cover. The repair tape you ut on holes stops the tear becoming larger but it still moves with the cover in the wind (and also as it heats up and cools down).

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Dave

Do what you enjoy, or learn to enjoy what you do - life is too short.

Thanks Dave,

you have confirmed the worries that I had about screwing through the cover. I dont think that repair tape alone would hold the gutter safely so I think its a case of letting that water go into the soil. It will soak in under the tunnel as well and in an indirect way keep the soil moist.

__________________
Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Thursday 8th January at 2130hrs

Couldn't you rig up some guttering on a frame round the polytunnel? Would look a bit weird but might work.
I've discovered B&Q sell water butts bigger and cheaper than Thames Water's special offer, so sucks to them

PW

Is your cover trenched into the ground?

If so, of even next time you recover, could you slope the trench to one end and put in some drainage pipe to some underground storage? A large project but if you are in an area with frequent hosepipe bans then perhaps this winter you could be up to your chest in a trench that Sewer_Rat would be proud of.

Probably a bit much as you'd have to do both sides of the tunnel and there maybe much easier ways........

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Dave

Do what you enjoy, or learn to enjoy what you do - life is too short.

Gardeners world last night dain they had under ground storage tanks. I suppose a good place would be under the shed as it's dead space anyway.

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Dave its not trenched in. I like an easy life when I can. I have dug in manure and grit around the tunnel to stop it from waterlogging but the run off is lost water, especially when I have two big water butts to fill, real big ones.

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Thursday 8th January at 2130hrs

Gardener's World were running a feature about using 'grey' water - ie bath, washing up & washing-machine water. They reckon so long as you use eco friendly cleaning products, which we do, then you should be ok to use it on the garden... but how do you collect it??

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Try this link. Had a couple off them some time ago. Not bad prices. Look on your local water providers web site for other advice

http://www.thetankexchange.com/home.htm

Had a look at southern waters web site and they define the ban as applying to private property only. They say that MOST allotments are owned by the council and do not come under the ban.

Check you local area, you never know!

I have three water barrels on the plot topped up by hose, and a tank taking rain off my shed, i need a clever idea to fill my barrels from the sky like a large funnel catcher but cant think of anything at the moment.

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