Sustainable Water Collection in Small Gardens

Sustainable Water Collection in Small Gardens

Abstract:

This paper describes possibilities and personal experiences with water collection in small gardens.

Keywords:

Small Garden, Water Collection, Rain Water, Rain Pipe Clap, Barrel.

A. Introduction

Clean water is a scare resource in the 21^st Century. This is valid for most regions of the world, but not necessarily for all regions of the globe. For instance in my region in the north of Germany clean water is abundant – that means that water coming out of the water tap is clear and pure enough to be drinking quality (authorities make sure that it is tested regularly – but this will be the topic of another blog).

B. Rainwater collection for Gardens

Many people in my neighborhood do not think about the issue and simply use this pure drin­king water for watering their gardens when necessary (in some wet summers it does not seem to be necessary but most people like to have short cut green lawns which means that they must be watered and cut regularly – again, the benefits of creating a wildflower garden will be covered in another blog).

Some gardeners which are aware about drinking water quality (and the price you have to pay for drinking water) are using pumps to pump up ground water. That has the consequence – in some areas with many small gardens ALL gardeners are doing it – that the level of ground water falls, which is not good for all naturally growing wild plants (in particular in heavily agriculturally used landscapes).

Therefore the water collection of rainwater is a useful, sustainable approach to use water in small gardens.

When I created my wildflower garden (which is covered in another blog), I also bought an old wooden wine barrel with an open top (coverable with a lid). Then I build in a so called “Rain pipe clap” (see picture) in my rain pipe. Old people may know about this idea since it was used in Germany and other countries long ago.

Such a device enables you to open the clap when rain falls or is expected to fall. By doing so you can easily collect rain water in your barrel (which holds about 200 Liters of water). This water can be distributed in your garden by help of a water can.  

The concept of a rain pipe clap (2 pictures):

Picture 1: open        Picture from URL: http://www.willhaben.at

                                                                                                    

Picture 2: closed        Picture from URL: http://www.willhaben.at

C. Benefits

Benefits are obvious:

-     you can collect rain water for your garden for free,

-     only a rain pipe clap is necessary which costs about 20-50 € depending on its material (plastic, tin, copper, etc.) and possibly a knowledgeable person which installs it,

-     using an old wooden wine barrel is romantic and useful (however you can also use plastic barrels),

-     water storage barrels and tanks can either be placed above ground or underground.

D. Drawbacks

Drawbacks:

-     When using an old barrel make sure to close the lid when you do not want to fill in more water – midges are using the water as breeding ground…

-     When heavy rain is forecasted or falling make sure your rain fall clap is closed. Otherwise water is pouring over the brink of the barrel…

E. Conclusion

Rainwater collection is an important puzzle part of sustainable gardening. One can get rain water for free and it is much cheaper than freshwater out of the tap. Flashfloods are prevented.

Water quality in Germany, the creation of a wildflower garden, water reduction devices and ideas to use rain water for household issues (washing machines, toilet rinsing, etc.) will be addressed in other blogs.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Carsten Weerth