Getting a water butt is one of the best ways you can save water at home. Not only does it give you free water on tap in the garden, but it could also give your plants a natural boost.
First, the basics: A water butt collects rainwater for use in the garden. It connects to a downpipe, collecting rain from the roof of your home (or shed, or garage). You use a tap to fill your watering can with water.
9 reasons why you should get a water butt:
1. A free supply of water
Rainwater is there for you to use – with no water charges attached. If you’re on a meter and water plants in the garden, your new water butt will quickly pay for itself through reduced bills. See our water meter page if you’re considering getting one (it’s free!)
2. Acid levels that plants love
We make our tap water slightly alkaline because this helps to protect water pipes from erosion. However, plants tend to prefer water that is slightly acidic, like rainwater. This is especially true for ericaceous plants like heather, rhododendron, camellia and azalea.
3. Natural nutrition for plants
If you looked at rainwater under a microscope, you’d find nitrates and organic matter that gets filtered out of tap water through water treatment. However, these tiny particles are beneficial to plants and help to keep your garden green and blooming.
4. A nice warm bath
If water is too cold, it can shock plant roots. The water in a water butt is usually warmer than tap water, which has get chilled in underground pipes. Using a water butt means your plants get the warm bath they prefer.
5. Water during hosepipe restrictions
Our water resources are in good shape this year and we have no plans to introduce a hosepipe ban. This is despite a dry start to the year (you can check current reservoir levels here). We never want to put hosepipe bans in place, but if it does prove necessary one day then a water butt means you can keep on watering your garden without breaking any rules.
6. Supporting wildlife
The water supplied to your home is taken from rivers and reservoirs, where it also helps support precious wildlife – fish, birds, animals, insects and the creatures that feed on them, and so on. Using a water butt means reservoirs stay fuller, so there’s plenty to support the natural environment. Find out more about our lakes and how you can visit them.
7. Reduce your carbon footprint
It takes energy to treat water to make it clean and pump it around the network. You bypass all this when you capture your own water in a water butt – rainclouds don’t use an electricity source! Find out more about your water.
8. A style challenge
If you think water butts are less than beautiful, you can have fun transforming or hiding yours. You can buy fancy types that look like urns, or get creative with netting, trellis, climbing plants so the water butt stays out of sight.
9. Topping up your pond safely
Tap water has small quantities of chlorine, which is used to kill off harmful bacteria. This is good for human health, but It can harm the delicate ecosystem of a garden pond. It’s best to let tap water stand in a bucket for a day or so to let chlorine evaporate off before using it to top your pond up – if you have a water butt, you can use the water right away.
There you have it – water butts are officially a good idea. Are there any downsides? Well, you need to buy one - they’re relatively cheap, and if you’re on a meter they quickly pay for themselves.
You also need to fit the water butt (which is a simple job) and clean it every year or so to clear sediment and algae. Using a lid helps to prevent dirt from getting into the water butt, and stops it from becoming a breeding ground for insects including mosquitoes.
What do you think? Would a water butt make a welcome addition to your outside space?
