SIMPLE AND INEXPENSIVE MEASURES CAN BE TAKEN TO REDUCE OUTDOOR WATER USE

Watering of gardens and landscaped areas can significantly increase demand for water especially during summer when water is in shortest supply. In the Kent area, garden watering can increase the demand for water by over 30% of average use. There are many simple and inexpensive measures which can be taken to reduce this demand whilst still maintaining attractive gardens and landscaped areas.

These include:

• Water butts. Storing water from the roofs of houses, sheds and communal buildings can significantly reduce the need for tap water.
• Design and management of gardens and landscaped areas. Choice of plants, bed design and watering regimes can reduce water demand and make them more resilient to long hot summers.
• Outdoor taps: use of flow limiters on outdoor taps helps to prevent excessive water use.

Water Butts: Instead of allowing rainwater from roofs to simply drain away, installation of water butts to collect and store roofwater can provide an alternative to mains water for garden use. Water butts can also help to mitigate the impact of development on flood risk. An example of a water butt is shown here. Water butts are inexpensive and simple to install and maintain. A standard water butt kit will include an adaptor that diverts water from a downpipe until the butt is full. Also a stand allowing for a bucket to sit beneath the tap and a lid which should be childproof.

A water butt should be used routinely rather than kept as an emergency water supply.

Additional water butts can be purchased through South East Water by calling 0845 230 6336

GARDENS AND LANDSCAPED AREAS
Simple and inexpensive design and management of gardens and landscaped areas can effectively reduce watering requirements. Measures to consider include:

• Bed design: use of mulching helps to retain moisture, and may be especially effective in communal landscaped areas where it can save operators money by reducing the frequency at which watering must be undertaken.
• Drought-tolerant plants: some plants are relatively resistant to drought and therefore require considerably less water during the summer period. They will also therefore be more resilient to long dry summers.
• Good garden management: for example watering in the evenings when less evaporation occurs.

OUTDOOR TAPS
Garden sprinklers often over-water plants and waste vast quantities of water so their use should be minimised. Limiting water flow to outside taps can provide beneficial water savings, especially at the hottest and driest periods of the year.

Restricting flow to outside taps to 10 l/minute would reduce water use whilst still leaving householders enough water to water their gardens. This can be achieved by installing flow regulators, which maintain a constant flow irrespective of pressure, or more simple flow restrictors whose performance is affected by pressure.