In the UK all mains water goes through a cleaning process so that it's safe to drink.
Most of the water we use is not for drinking but used for things like:
- washing
- toilet flushing
- watering the garden
This means that energy is used to treat it unnecessarily.
Harvesting, or collecting, rainwater can help save energy and cut down on water bills.
The easiest and most cost effective way to collect rainwater is to use a water butt connected to the down pipe from your gutter. This water can then be used for washing your car and watering the garden. Water butts and down pipe connectors can be purchased from The Environment Centre from around £35.
If you have a large roof area (pitched or flat) you could consider a Rainwater Harvesting system which also collects water for your washing machine and flushing toilets. The rain water is diverted to a storage tank, usually underground. The water can then be pumped to toilets and washing machines via separate pipes. These systems will cost from around £2000 and are most likely to be cost effective for new build properties with water metering facilities.
