The Great Use Less Water Hunt

Miss-spent_2

I save my empty plastic four pint milk containers and fill them up from the garden water butts. This means that the butts are never full and there is room in them when a downpour comes. It is also easy to water pots with the milk containers as they have a handle and are not too heavy. We have about twenty full up and ready to go in the garden.

veruccasalt

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charlieheard

Miss-spent wrote:

I save my empty plastic four pint milk containers and fill them up from the garden water butts. This means that the butts are never full and there is room in them when a downpour comes. It is also easy to water pots with the milk containers as they have a handle and are not too heavy. We have about twenty full up and ready to go in the garden.

What an excellent idea. Our only problem is that we don't have enough rain to refill the water butt at the moment :rolleyes:

rubix_76

Miss-spent wrote:

I save my empty plastic four pint milk containers and fill them up from the garden water butts. This means that the butts are never full and there is room in them when a downpour comes. It is also easy to water pots with the milk containers as they have a handle and are not too heavy. We have about twenty full up and ready to go in the garden.

I tried this, but you have to make sure if the bottles are white (cravendale) or clear that they are not kept in sunlight outside. otherwise the water starts to grow algae.

This is OK if you use the water reguarly, like every evening though.

George_Bray

boyznus wrote:

add a bit of bleach while the water is in the bath this stops it smelling

Does anyone know of anything which can be added to a water butt, to stop house roof water stagnating, yet not pollute the water, so it can still be used for watering the garden?

Bleach sounds excellent for toilet flush water.

Regards
George

Ken68

I use rainwater for flushing the loo,after filtering thru muslin.All my tanks are 200 gallon metal sinc type,all sealed and with a large tap. Plus charcoal lumps in a netting, the sort that oranges come in.Keeps the water smelling sweeter.
The bucket stands either just outside the conservatory door or in the bath, with a spash of half strength bleach,
Stale water is good for the garden, perhaps because of the dead flies. :-))

koru

The following device seems like a good way to recycle bathwater and keep your lawn healthy in a way that is both legal and ethical. I just ordered one. Cheaper than some other similar devices:
http://www.droughtbuster.co.uk/index.htm

I confirmed it is legal, at my water board website:

http://www.3valleys.co.uk/home/ah_beatthedrought_dom.shtml

It says: "Q: Does the restriction apply to rainwater that I have stored either in water butts or other containers? A: No. It applies only to hose pipes and sprinklers connected to the drinking water supply. There are pumps on the market which enable you to pump collected rainwater through a hosepipe or irrigation system."

OK, they are talking about rainwater, but I can't see why bathwater should be any different and they clearly say that the ban is only on hoses connected to the drinking water supply.

They also say: "Q: Can I use bathwater or washing up water to water my garden? A: Yes. Household soaps and detergents are harmless to plants, however it's best to be mindful of how much product you put in your bath. For container watering it is suggested that you alternate domestic wastewater and rainwater and if needs be mains water with a watering can."

gromituk

It looks remarkably similar to the syphons you get to empty fish tanks etc, so you might be able to get one of those and a hosepipe adaptor cheaper.

gromituk

They also seem remarkably reluctant to point out what might not be obvious to everyone - it can only move water downhill - and most ponds are not raised.

koru

Ponds may not be raised, but I think they are largely promoting it to empty baths, which are often upstairs. That's what I will use it for.

I think you are right that you can get the components a little cheaper, but I did a bit of surfing and decided it would only save a few £, and at least this way I can be sure everything is compatible.