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  • #1

    Water Saving

    In an effort to stop using the hose on our two allotments and save some water I installed five 1000 litre IBC's on the two pots during late summer.

    Two are situated outside the polytunnel and are filled using the hose but the other three are plumbed into the greenhouse guttering and shed guttering. The greenhouses have two linked together and the shed has one, that overflows into three 200 litre blue plastic barrels c/w taps.

    So far so good, however its still mid January and all the containers are full. I could squeeze another 1000 litre IBC in by the greenhouses for my planned new shed to feed but all in all I have over 5600 litres (1250 gallons) of water in store already.

    A pond is planned to take excess run-off when required but at the moment I am stuffed. How are you guys faring?
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  • #2
    pigletwillie,
    I installed 2 IBC's last year, stacked and am now looking to get a couple more.
    Could I ask how you have linked them together as mine are independent. Also how are you getting water out as water from my lower one doesn't have quite enough pressure to use a hose effectively from it?
    Thanks
    Caroline

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    • #3
      Caroline, one is set higher than the other and a pipe was fitted near the top to take excess water into the slightly lower one. The pipe is just pushed into a hole drilled into the side and sealed.

      I dont use a hose, I have low pressure leaky pipe that is laid out into the polytunnel beds and the rest is taken off with watering cans.
      Last edited by pigletwillie; 20-01-2007, 12:48 AM. Reason: sentence structure

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      • #4
        Hi
        What's an IBC? Are they expensive and where do you get them?
        Got the same problem, all the waterbutts full and overflowing
        Sue

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        • #5
          An independant bulk container is a 1000 litre square plastic container that is in a protective cage and sat on a pallet. They have a screw lid on the top and a tap at the bottom and are used by many industries. I get mine from work free.

          You can buy them second hand for between £60-100 but many places give them away as they are non returnable in some instances.
          Attached Files
          Last edited by pigletwillie; 18-01-2007, 09:24 PM.

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          • #6
            My OH very kindly fitted guttering and downpipes to my shed and two water butts last weekend at the lottie. I checked one last night (ie it had been in place for 6 days only) - it was 2/3rd full already! Methinks we've had more than our fair share of rain over the past week! DDL
            Bernie aka DDL

            Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

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            • #7
              Pigletwillie
              Thanks for the info, I'll have a search on the net.
              best wishes
              Sue

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              • #8
                They are worth trying to get Sue, their capacity equates to about 4 Blue barrels, with a smaller footprint to boot.

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                • #9
                  I'll have to borrow a trailer & come over to see you PW I could use a couple of those myself.
                  ntg
                  Never be afraid to try something new.
                  Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
                  A large group of professionals built the Titanic
                  ==================================================

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                  • #10
                    I'm SO pleased with myself...today I linked my four blue butts up together; with hosepipe sections one to the other...they drain into each other so when I take from one it refills from the others. I worked it all out myself and everything (this is from one who has been known to hammer screws in).
                    I spent a happy ten minutes watching them drain into each other...now got to source some more for gratis
                    All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                    • #11
                      As things currently are on our allotment you are not allowed any sheds/greenhouses. I want to do all I can to harvest rainwater but surely there must be other ways if you have no guttering to connect to?

                      Just having butts dotted about is the obvious choice for many, but does anyone know of any other cheaper ways?
                      A simple dude trying to grow veg. http://haywayne.blogspot.com/

                      BLOG UPDATED! http://haywayne.blogspot.com/2012/01...ar-demand.html 30/01/2012

                      Practise makes us a little better, it doesn't make us perfect.

                      What would Vedder do?

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Originally posted by HeyWayne View Post
                        As things currently are on our allotment you are not allowed any sheds/greenhouses. I want to do all I can to harvest rainwater but surely there must be other ways if you have no guttering to connect to?

                        Just having butts dotted about is the obvious choice for many, but does anyone know of any other cheaper ways?
                        This is all theoretical as I haven't tried it but......... if you aren't allowed structures the only other part of the lottie which gets rained on, apart from soil areas, are the paths! If the paths can be linked to a storage device, quite a bit of water could be saved from the winter rains!

                        A sloping site would give natural water flow down the paths and all that would be needed is a colection device!
                        My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
                        to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

                        Diversify & prosper


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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Snadger View Post
                          This is all theoretical as I haven't tried it but......... if you aren't allowed structures the only other part of the lottie which gets rained on, apart from soil areas, are the paths! If the paths can be linked to a storage device, quite a bit of water could be saved from the winter rains!

                          A sloping site would give natural water flow down the paths and all that would be needed is a colection device!
                          Interesting idea, only problem is, our "paths" are really only trodden down earth, no real paths to speak of.

                          Anyone used these before?: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OIL-DRUM-BBQ-4...QQcmdZViewItem Looks cheap, and I'm sure it would work - just cut a hole in the top...
                          A simple dude trying to grow veg. http://haywayne.blogspot.com/

                          BLOG UPDATED! http://haywayne.blogspot.com/2012/01...ar-demand.html 30/01/2012

                          Practise makes us a little better, it doesn't make us perfect.

                          What would Vedder do?

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            here's my butts, all linked up...lovely jubbly. Just for fun I fill up the 1st just to watch it magically drain off into the next, and the next...
                            Attached Files
                            All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post
                              here's my butts, all linked up...lovely jubbly. Just for fun I fill up the 1st just to watch it magically drain off into the next, and the next...
                              And you say you suck that water to get it going!!! It's a wonder Johnty isn't spouting off about Archimedes by now!
                              My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
                              to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

                              Diversify & prosper


                              Comment

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