Time to look at rain water harvesting

With all the rain around it’s time to seriously consider rainwater harvesting

With all the wet weather we are experiencing at the moment and the recent drought conditions still fresh in the memory it is a good time to consider installing a rainwater harvesting system.

Usually rainwater runs off roofs through the soakaway system and is lost. In properties that have the old combined sewage system, rainwater joins the foul water and flows through the drainage system to the local water treatment plant for cleaning.

Now it is possible for homeowners to collect and use rainwater and re-use ‘grey’ waste water from sinks and baths – helping to save money and the environment in the process. Reduced water consumption can lower bills and help to create a more sustainable built environment.

In addition to its plumbing and drainage services, Drain Doctor provides a complete rainwater harvesting installation service that includes site surveys, planning consultations and building and inspection work.

There are two types of water harvesting system. By installing a collection tank in the garden, rainwater runoff from the roof can be collected and used to fill a water butt or supply a garden tap by use of a pump.

Rainwater is harvested for non-drinking water applications and can also be pumped back into the house for use in flushing toilets and filling washing machines.

The second type of water harvesting involves collecting grey water from sinks, washing machines and dishwashers and using it to flush the toilets. With this system household water is used twice which has an immediate payback on the water meter.

Drain Doctor franchisees offering the service will project manage the whole installation from start to finish. We will liaise with planners and complete the work using selected highly trained subcontractors, tailoring each solution to the customer’s requirements. The customer will have one point of contact from the start to final completion of the project.

For more information on rainwater harvesting or any other Drain Doctor service call us on 0800 33 57 999 or visit our website www.draindoctor.co.uk

Related articles

• Rainwater Harvesting (evonnesmulders.wordpress.com)
• What’s the best way to store rainwater? (bbc.co.uk)
• Every Drop Counts- Reusing Rainwater Saves Money and is Better for Plants (tammore.wordpress.com)

Hosepipe ban to be lifted but keep saving water

Drain Doctor advice: Turn off running water and fix dripping taps to save water.

Three major water companies – Anglian Water, Southern Water and Thames Water – are lifting the hosepipe restrictions that were put in place in April following two unusually dry winters.

Record rainfall in April and further significant rainfall in May and June has led to serious flooding in some parts of the country but has also meant that river and reservoir levels have returned to normal levels.

This is all good news. But despite the fact that the risks of drought and widespread water restrictions this summer have been significantly reduced we all still need to keep an eye on our water usage to avoid problems in the future.

Here a few Drain Doctor tips that we have already shared to help conserve water and save some cash at the same time:

• Use a bowl in the sink when washing fruit, vegetables or dishes. You can then use the waste water to water your plants.
• Fill a jug of water and put it in the fridge for when you want a cool drink.
• Turn off the tap when you clean your teeth. A running tap uses up to nine litres of water a minute.
• Wait until you have a full load before using your washing machine or your dishwasher. Some new washing machines use less than seven litres of water for each kilogramme of clothes, while modern dishwashers can use as little as 10 to 15 litres of water a cycle.
• If possible, take a shower instead of a bath. A five-minute shower uses about 40 litres of water. This is about half the volume of a standard bath.
• Use a water-saving device in your toilet cistern. Depending on the size of your cistern, you could save between one and three litres each time you flush the toilet.
• Using a watering can in the garden instead of a sprinkler or a hosepipe. Garden sprinklers and hosepipes left running can use between 500 and 1,000 litres of water an hour.
• Think about fitting a water-butt to collect rainwater off your roof. Water butts usually store about 200 litres of water. As well as being better for watering your plants, using rainwater in the garden reduces the amount of treated water you use.
• Check your property regularly for leaks on your internal plumbing.

For more details and news on floods, droughts and hosepipe restrictions have a look here.

Related articles

• Hosepipe bans to be lifted (bfreenews.com)
• Companies to lift hosepipe bans (express.co.uk)
• Hosepipe bans to be lifted (guardian.co.uk)
• Companies to lift hosepipe bans after ‘monsoon downpours’ (itv.com)
• Thames Water could lift hosepipe ban sooner than expected unless weather ‘takes Saharan twist’ (thisislondon.co.uk)
• Companies to lift hosepipe bans (itv.com)
• UK News: Companies to lift hosepipe bans (walesonline.co.uk)