Drought southern England - How will you cope? - What can be done?

[Two_Sheds]

in their baths - surely they could use a toilet instead?

We wash our private parts. That invariably means that faecal matter and bacteria will enter the water. If you attempt to store grey water for any period of time, you'll soon become aware of bacterial activity in it: it will go cloudy and stink.

[veggiechicken]

All I can say is that in the drought of 1976, after showering with the plug in the bath, or sharing the bath water, we siphoned the water out of the bathroom window straight into the greenhouse. We had the best crop of tomatoes ever that year - and no stomach upsets!

[Hilary B]

We wash our private parts. That invariably means that faecal matter and bacteria will enter the water. If you attempt to store grey water for any period of time, you'll soon become aware of bacterial activity in it: it will go cloudy and stink.

If you store rainwater for any length of time it stinks, tap water too, although they tend to be growing algae, while greywater tends to contain soap, which is quite capable of making it mucky in storage anyway.
Unless the greywater is all the water your veg get for ages, and you don't wash them when they come into the kitchen, I really can't see there being a problem.
I would TEND not to use for root veg, perhaps especially carrots (it's relatively unusual NOT to cook most of the rest) just in case, but for most crops where the water isn't intended to be applied to the edible part, I wouldn't hesitate!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Few words come to me on this subject.

Well rotted manure, chicken poo, horse poo, etc etc.

I do believe that human manure was used at one time as well.

It is lack of cleanliness after harvest that would be the problem surely.

Colin

[alex-adam]

Few words come to me on this subject.

Well rotted manure, chicken poo, horse poo, etc etc.

I do believe that human manure was used at one time as well.

It is lack of cleanliness after harvest that would be the problem surely.

Colin

Here you are Colin -

Night soil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[veggiechicken]

Like that a-a. especially this:
A gong farmer was the term used in Tudor England for a person employed to remove human excrement from privies and cesspits. Gong farmers were only allowed to work at night and the waste they collected had to be taken outside the city or town boundaries. They later became known as "night soil men" or "nightmen".[3] In the Manchester area they were also known as the Midnight Mechanic."
If I'd known I would have called myself "Gong farmer" instead of Veggie chicken
Anyone from Manchester on here might like the Midnight Mechanic name!

[SlugLobber]

Human poo is being used round here on crops and has been for about 4 years. So glad I don't live in the centre of the village anymore, as I couldn't have my windows open for weeks at a time - my eyes would water!

Where can I get one of these syphon jobbies? Or are you talking a home made tube and suck-it type thing?

We've got those huge white water storage things at home. Will be setting one up for my little plot this weekend, hopefully. I already recycle all my coffee water for slug purposes and use the coffee pot to water hanging baskets with the washing up water.

I shower every couple of days (skin dryness), so that won't change - it'll increase if anything in the summer, due to dirty hobbies!

Flushing wise, we don't flush during the night anyway, so will probabl extend this to morning wees.

[Peas'n'Kews]

I believe that when you buy a new-to-you house now-a-days the local water company HAS to check you over for a meter.

So far this the first house I've had where we could have one.... (shared supplies before). Bill much reduced despite builders using lots to, err, build.....

Have 4 water butts - two on the house and one on each shed. We got two of the water butts from the water company (unpronounable French variety) - they did a deal that made the butts cheaper than anything else we could find of comparable quality, and they delivered free.....

Alternatively, one of the members of the Field Archery club I belong to has a friend who is trying to sell their house somewhere near Okehampton in Devon (commonly called "soakhampton" I believe!) cos they can't stand the wet weather any more - so you could buy this house!!!! AND you'd be tested for a water meter....

[Two_Sheds]

Devon (commonly called "soakhampton" I believe!)

I was born in Devon. There was a postcard of sheep standing in the rain, looking miffed. The caption said "winter in Devon. Summer in Devon"

[Two_Sheds]

Got my new siphon pump for the bathwater, and it's so good I made you a video: bathwater siphon pump - YouTube