Water storage

[Broch]

If your water supply has never run dry yet, there's no reason to assume that it will

Yep, on my risk assessment that comes pretty low on probability and, if we run dry, I suspect the rest of the country will be having problems as well.

There are a few farms in the valley that probably extract from the same source but they're all beef cattle and sheep so, although they use some water, they don't use as much as arable farming.

The pump has been going 30 years but, when I enquired about any maintenance regime, I was told leave well alone until it fails

 

[Woody girl]

My local water authority has run out of water butts!
I've managed to find two free large blue barrels and I'm pressing them into service as soon as I can for the garden.

 

[rarms]

Can anyone recommend a 12 or 24v pump for moving water from one storage container to another?

 

[slowworm]

I've just been told I should consider a "smart water butt". Anyone heard of such a thing?

A bit of a google suggests it would be completely pointless for us but I'm curious to know if anyone has heard of such a thing or seen one in use.

 

[Broch]

Smart Water Butts are a means of helping reduce flooding downstream from your property not a way of collecting water for your use.

They act like a leaky dam by letting slow flow water through but collecting a volume of heavy flow water when there is heavy rain. If every house had one the water volume flow downstream would be spread over a longer period of time. Clearly, once your butt(s) are full they don't hold anything back.

 

[slowworm]

I vaguely understand how they operate but from what I've read they seem a bit pointless, aimed at people who don't garden and who like gadgets. Some also seem to rely on accurate weather reports which is not something we've blessed with here.

But for me I am not on mains drainage, I currently store 6,000 litres of water for use around the home and the location they want me to install one doesn't have internet so would require a fair bit of investment.

 

[British Red]

.

But for me I am not on mains drainage, I currently store 6,000 litres of water for use around the home and the location they want me to install one doesn't have internet so would require a fair bit of investment.

Who is asking you to instal one out of interest?

 

[slowworm]

Who is asking you to instal one out of interest?

It was the local water authority commenting on my planning app for a workshop.

After a quick chat and explaining the whole area is on private supply and drainage their comments have been withdrawn.

I still find the idea of someone remotely controlling your water butts, and emptying them when you need them most, bizarre.

 

[Broch]

I still find the idea of someone remotely controlling your water butts, and emptying them when you need them most, bizarre.

That's a step way beyond my understanding of their use TBH and unacceptable. However, the purpose is to ease flooding not to supply water - two completely different uses of butts.

 

[British Red]

It was the local water authority commenting on my planning app for a workshop.

After a quick chat and explaining the whole area is on private supply and drainage their comments have been withdrawn.

I cannot honestly believe water butts could hold enough water to make any meaningful difference to a flood scenario

 

[Broch]

It's a timing issue; if 1000 homes dump their roof water straight into the drains it causes a surge of water. If 1000 homes hold that water back then release it slowly or at different times it prevents a surge. Multiply that by the number of homes along a water drainage area and it makes a significant difference - just like leaky beaver dams.

The models show it works

 

[slowworm]

What models? I could only see a few trials with about 30 properties with 200-300l of storage. I thought for the cost of the electronics, fitting etc then a tank installed at the water treatment works would probably be more cost effective.

I just couldn't see why such a system was even suggested for our location though, for many of reasons. Firstly they don't seem to be available and secondly when we get heavy rain a 240l water butt will be somewhat trivial. Also the flooding problems we get are after several days of heavy rain where I see little benefit in holding a tiny amount back.

 

[British Red]

.

The models show it works

And models said that building on flood plains was a good idea. My observation based on 15 years of water harvesting in a rural area with private drainage is that in these types of property it's laughable. My steading roofs can easily gather thousands of litres in a good storm & that's not including the cottage that drains to the cistern. These things might work where houses are rammed in tight together, but a better solution would be much lower housing density.

 

[Watch-keeper]

Our system collects from ground water and some surface run off from a hill close to our house.
There is a well made from concrete rings which is sunk about 2.5 meters down this collects ground water and some surface runoff. The overflow from the concrete well feeds in to a subsurface 6 cubic meter plastic tank, this tank has a direct feed to the house and an overflow to another concrete ring well further down the slope. There is another feed from the 2nd concrete well to the house, once inside the house it goes through a course filter-charcoal filter-chemical filter then to the taps. The water direct from the tank is just outside the limits for fit human consumption although another resident has been drinking it straight from the well for years with no ill effects.

 

[Pattree]

Just read about these.

I’m not so interested in the cans of water but when the panels might become available.

 

[Ystranc]

What are the laws/rule if one was to pump water from a stream running through your land into holding tanks?

It requires a licence from the environment agency/nature Wales or it’s classed as water abstraction.

 

[Broch]

It requires a licence from the environment agency/nature Wales or it’s classed as water abstraction.

Only if you plan to abstract more than 20,000L per day in England.