But me no butts, but anything that encourages folk, gardeners in particular, to conserve whatever water that falls from the sky seems a rather sensible move. Going by Armandii's post it seems that folk are now getting the message. No water shortage here but I do have a 200 litre butt, thankfully full due to recent precipitation, which I use to water the polytunnel and blueberries rather than waste mains water and we've also a well I could use if we ever get a watering ban. If I could install another two or three butts I would. Anyone down south needing a bucket or two - I'll do you a really good deal.
I think people just assume, your going to fill a butt up with mains water, in my case I have 2, a 50 gallon one and a 25 gallon one, that collect rain water from the shed, rain water is obviously a lot better than from a tap, so this will encourage people to use rain water (even after the ban has been lifted) so its a good thing people are buying water butts, because they will in the future use less mains and more rain water
Let me think now. How does it go again? Closing, stable door, horse, bolted? There is a hosepipe ban because its not raining enough. So folk rush out and buy equipment to catch the rain to see them through the summer. Ok, I'm sure its logical in some way.
As posted by lazydog and Cluless above Just what do they intend filling these water butts with ? Water, a hosepipe £eity for bid Jack McH
If it is, it is a logic so intricate that my tiny brain can't comprehend it. What with people responding to the call from the government to rush out and raise more revenue (the fuel panic buying episode) and then the water butt issue. It has to be logical, somehow, doesn't it?
i know someone that had a water butt and even when we had a drought one year they always had water, us neighbours thought they were using the hose at night .... and they were the next door neighbours ( we lived in a metered street) they were arrested for theft but i dont think it ever made it to court
I don't think so. Human nature is to be lazy take the easy option, so why will they bother with the butt when they can use a sprinkler?
Yes. 1) We're on a gardening forum, where the hosepipe ban/water shortage has been extensively discussed, so why wouldn't you quote a pertinent article? 2) You're a butt man
I'm pretty sure water butts have gone up in price too. Other half and I bought an extra water butt two days before the hose pipe ban. It was only a slimline one, but still cost us £25 without the stand. Last year I'm pretty sure we bought our other slimline one for £25 with the stand included. Larger water butts seem to have rocketed further, I paid £30 for my large water butt, which included stand, tap, connector and even a watering can. Now they want £50 for one. My advice to anyone reading this is not to pay extortionate prices. I didn't have a choice last week as I needed a slimline one, but if you want a large one, don't pay £50 plus for one. Buy a brand new bin from your local poundstretchers, buy a waterbutt tap and you're sorted. Cost you half the price of a ready made one.
I have three 50 gallon butts, all dry, and I shall be getting another one which will also remain dry if the drought continues . As someone who used to write my own advertising copy and publicity shots I take some of the figures in the article as clever hype. 100% increase in sales would sound pretty good but doesn't do much for the 'bottom' line if your base is a sale of one butt! It's great for publicity, though!
Some councils link to a scheme on www.getcomposting.com where you can buy reasonably priced water butts and if you buy two the second one is half price - so you can get x 2 190L butts (including stand) for £63.91 including postage. I want one to run off the downpipe on the house (current one runs off a downpipe on the garage) plus a smaller one to take the overflow (we get a lot of rain).
