Saving Water - Tips

Queenie

Miss-spent wrote:

Syphon water from full water butts into empty plastic milk containers, especially four litre ones, and store. This allows your water butts to collect more rain and provides you with easy to carry 'watering cans'. It may help if you have a hose pipe ban or it may save you money if you are on a water meter.

You may need to boil that water first and then let it cool/chill before you use it. It doesn't take long for insects/bugs/nasties to creep into a butt and make it "home".

jaybee

We've just got a water meter - last week, actually, so I am very conscious of saving water now! We already have a water butt which provides pretty much all water needs for the garden (not keen gardener but like it to look nice!) That's a good idea to collect / drain off some water (especially if rain is forecast!) I'll start keeping milk cartons now.

Miss-spent_2

Miss-spent wrote:

Syphon water from full water butts into empty plastic milk containers, especially four litre ones, and store. This allows your water butts to collect more rain and provides you with easy to carry 'watering cans'. It may help if you have a hose pipe ban or it may save you money if you are on a water meter.

Its a while since I put this tip on so thought i would bring it to peoples attention again. We have now got about 20 four pint containers that we keep topped up from the water butts. Have not needed to use hose. We don't have a ban but I am aware how precious water is.

hardpressed

How do you syphon the water from the water butt? Do you have to suck it up the pipe or is there a better way, don't fancy swallowing the water from the butt.

thriftlady_2

Brilliant tip Miss-spent, we've got a water butt on order from our council - just waiting now. I will start saving my milk cartons.

Reminds me of when my mum used to syphon the bath water out of the bath for watering the garden in the drought of 1976 (?).

squeaky

hardpressed wrote:

How do you syphon the water from the water butt? Do you have to suck it up the pipe or is there a better way, don't fancy swallowing the water from the butt.

They usually come with a tap fitted. Mine was simply a plastic storage barrel and it was easy enough to fit a tap into it, honest.

I raised it up on blocks (while empty) so that I can fit bottles or my watering can underneath it with no trouble.

I have a set of small ponds in the garden and I always top these up from my barrel when we're promised rain. Not too often here in Sunny Suffolk!

ET03

couldn't you just dip the bottles into the water butt until they fill up ?

fizzel81

i must admit im terrable where water is concerned i probably waste far too much one day well 4 years time we are going to have to worry about things such as water rates so i need to learn how to use mine better. we dont have plants in the garden as last year the kids pulled them up plus are patch of grass is tiny, however i would l;ove to find a use for the water that collects in the condensor of my tumble dryer (sorry it usually go's down the sink) plus any other water saving tips would be great

Miss-spent_2

hardpressed wrote:

How do you syphon the water from the water butt? Do you have to suck it up the pipe or is there a better way, don't fancy swallowing the water from the butt.

Sorry I meant syphon as in draw water off. The barrels come with taps and we just turn them on, nothing dramatic

hardpressed

The reason I asked is I want to syphon the bath water to use in the garden. We have a ground floor bathroom so the waste pipe is too low down to get a can under, I was thinking of a hose out of the window, but would have to syphon it or buy an electric pump.