Watering the garden- environmental dilemma

Interesting to read your various thoughts on this topic!
We are very much aware of the cost of using tap water, as it is more than €0.05 per litre. We also normally have v dry springs and summers, with more rain in the late autumn and winter. Most summers we have a watering ban. No hosepipes, or even bucket-watering, with clean water, car-washing is also banned! Our soil is also very sandy, so does not hold moisture.
Obviously, we try to plant drought tolerant varieties. We have some pots against the house (tarmac up to the walls!), so they need watering, and the wildlife pond looses lots of water with drying winds, bathing birds and visiting wildlife. Sometimes we top up the pond from the house rainwater tank, but they are far apart, and the tank is a lot lower down on the slope, so it’s not really feasible.

What do we do?
Well, we have a long pipe run from the hot water tank to the taps (no idea why, apart from the tank is in the garage, two rooms away from any tap!). So, when we run the shower, I have a clean water trug that the shower head goes in until it is running hot. It is then moved to the other side of the shower-area, to be kept away from the soap. 10 litres every day from my shower, and then 5 litres from hubby’s, who showers about 20 mins later. That gets carried up to the pond if soap-free, or used elsewhere if soap has got in there…
Washing up pans etc, even though we have a dishwasher, means another 4 litres of water drawn before it runs hot…
I use as little detergent as possible (septic tank to be kept healthy), and any “clean” washing up water, salad rinsing water, etc, go into the pots, onto the veg beds, or where it is needed most.
If thunder rain is due, we get every trug, bucket, etc that we have out, and gather as much as we can.

 

Storm drains are what I was hinting at earlier regarding the sewage system getting overloaded during heavy rain.
A separate system for rain water.
The only problem I foresee with that is would the water be of any use, bearing in mind how much salt is dumped on our roads each winter, other pollutants as well, oil, rubber etc.

I seem to remember a problem some years ago where on one of the motorways the run off had leached out of its allotted "pond" and poluted streams in the area.

 

I definitely think all new build developments should have to have some kind of water management plan for surface water.
Just bunging the surface water down the drains is not the answer, but then going back a few years when we had an exceptionally dry summer I remember the water companies complaining that the sewers were blocking up because they rely on rain water to flush them out.

 

What about putting the unflushables down the toilets? Not just tampons, diapers, wet wipes etc but then masks from Covid???????

We are critically aware of this as we are on natural drainage, ie, into the earth soakaway (fosse), and don't even put toilet paper down, it goes in the bin. We had to register doing this.

 

Fat bergs are the biggest problem.

 

Sorry, I don't understand this.

 

Fat down the drains ... always a nightmare for me and I never understand why this is done. I can't stand grease on my hands!

 

I'm just pondering on what I would do with someone else's bath water.
Or is this just going to be a house by house thing, ie. your own bath water goes into a tank on your property, to use as you will, maybe car washing or something like that.

 

Its certain types of restaurant.

Fish and chip shops obviously.

 

The last major public water supply reservoir to be constructed in the UK for water supply purposes was Carsington in 1991. Still a long time ago.
I know that here in Scotland all new builds have a water management system as part of the planning approval. The local new build near me, Shawfair has an open water drainage pond created at Danderhall South and there are plans to plant large areas of structural landscaping and community woodland.