Rainwater is a fantastic, free resource, but it doesn’t always arrive when you most need it. If you want to make the most of this free bounty to water your plants or even to wash your car, windows or paving then you need to collect rainwater when it falls and store it so it’s there when you need it. Water butts, which collect rainwater runoff from roofs via guttering are a simple and effective way to do this. There are a few things to consider though, to ensure you get the best out of your water butt.
When it comes to water butts, bigger is usually better as you want to store sufficient water to serve your garden needs for several weeks, in the event of a dry spell. You can either choose a large water butt, like the one pictured here or link several of the more traditional barrel-style water butts together. Don’t go nuts and buy way more capacity than you need though; you don’t want to be storing water in water butts for prolonged periods as it can get stagnant. It’s a good idea to allow your water butts to get empty and dry out periodically as this helps reduce stagnation and gives you a chance to clean them. If you have room, consider having more than one water butt system so that you can drain one down for maintenance whilst the other is still full.
Try to install water butts on a level surface, to maximise capacity and reduce strain on their structure. If you're using a gravity-fed irrigation system you’ll need to ensure the butt is sited uphill from the plants. If you're using a pump, like our Groundskeeper, this is not as important.
Install guttering on sheds, and downpipe diverters from house roofs to maximise collection of rainwater. Avoid siting gutters under trees, to prevent leaves from clogging them up. Where this isn't possible, consider installing protection measures like gutter guards. Install filters in downpipe diverters to prevent debris from contaminating your water.
If possible, site water butts out of direct sunlight to help minimse the temperature of the water and reduce the risk of growth of harmful bacteria.
The design of the water butt is important too. Lots of different shapes and sizes are available, find one which fits in the available space. Choose opaque containers as darker containers keep water cooler and block sunlight which can promote bacteria and algae growth.
Use brass tap fittings. It may seem like an extravagance to buy a brass tap if your water butt already comes with a plastic one, but experience has taught us that a system is only as good as its weakest link. Most plastic taps cannot connect to a hose fitting, which means you are stuck with going back and forth with a watering can or bucket. Furthermore, plastic taps and fittings have a tendency to perish over time.
Always keep a lid on your water butt. It blocks out sunlight and minimises the risk of contamination by insect larvae and windblown litter as well as preventing unfortunate wildlife from falling in.
Once you’ve got your water butt set up, make sure you use all this lovely free water - It would be a waste to simply collect it and let it stagnate!
To help keep your water in good condition make sure you empty gutter guards and thoroughly clean the water butts regularly, wearing appropriate PPE, to remove any build up of detritus and bacteria.
Stored rainwater is soft, has lower pH than tap water, and is chlorine free, so it’s fantastic for plants, garden ponds, wildlife watering stations etc. You can use it with a watering can to manually water plants etc. or you can install an automatic watering system like our Groundskeeper to do the watering for you.
Our Groundskeeper automatic watering system has been specifically designed to run on stored rainwater. It is one of the most powerful and innovative watering systems on the market and includes heaps of smart features, including: particulate and UV filters to improve water quality, dawn/dusk irrigation for optimal hydration, moisture sensing to prevent overwatering and conserve water reserves, and the versatile hose mode. To find out how the Groundskeeper could help you effortlessly make the most of your stored water, click on the link below.
