How to... collect rain water

Puddle: How to collect rain water

Everyone makes the most of sunshine, but what can you do to get the best out of rain?

Get a big butt to see you through the summer

Rain: too much or too little, that’s often the way. But if you get a water butt, you can cash-in on nature when it’s wet and quench your garden’s thirst through a dry spell.

A staggering 100,000 litres of rainwater falls on the roof of each home every year. Nearly all of this goes straight down the drain,  when all you need to do is catch it.

You can buy a water butt from most garden centres or DIY stores and it’s easy to fit one to the downpipe from your guttering. Next time there’s a hosepipe ban and not a cloud in the sky, your garden will thank you for a soaking.

Installing a water butt

You can collect rainwater in any watertight receptacle as it falls. Fit a lid to prevent small animals from falling in and drowning.

To make the most of your butt, connect it to the downpipe from your guttering. Many water butts come with a simple connection kits and it’s really easy to do.

A water butt can be plastic or wooden. Some have a tap at the bottom of the barrel, which makes it easy to fill a watering can or fix a hose.

If your barrel doesn’t have a tap, you’ll have to scoop water out from the top. A lid of fine mesh will stop leaves and small animals from falling in – you don’t want to feed your garden guests in one place and drown them in another!

Simple maintenance

Sometimes algae grows in the water, but avoid using chemicals to get rid of it as they won’t be good for wildlife. You can scoop it out by hand, or even empty the whole lot every now and then and give it a good scrub.

If you don’t put a lid on your butt, remove leaves and twigs regularly and put in a plank so that animals can climb out.

Easy ways to help save water

  • Wash your car with a bucket instead of a hose.
  • Fix any leaking taps.
  • Don’t over-water your garden and use collected rainwater as much as possible (great if you're on a water meter).
  • Think of a riverside on a summer’s day next time you’re using lots of water, and be inspired not to waste any.
  • Second-hand water is a great way to keep your garden green. Once you’ve finished in the bath, scoop out the ‘grey water’ and give your plants a drink. While the garden won’t mind mild soaps, washing machine water or greasy water from the kitchen sink is harder to swallow.

How to reduce your need for water

  • Stop the sun from baking the soil dry by mulching with bark or gravel.
  • Take the watering can out during the evening when it’s cooler. This way, less water will evaporate in the sun and more will soak into the soil and get to the roots that need it.
  • Lawn sprinklers and watering sprays are best avoided – the finer the spray, the less water actually reaches your plants. Hosepipes attached to mains water are also a bad idea as you’ll probably end up using much more water than you need. Use a watering can, or attach your hose to a water butt and avoid using a spray nozzle.
  • Avoid watering your lawn. If you raise your mower blades a little and leave the grass a little longer, it will retain more moisture. And if it’s looking more like straw during a hot-spell, don’t despair – it will recover once the rains return.
This feature is from BBC Breathing Places. Find more inspirational ideas at www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces.