As the climate changes and temperatures increase, the world will have to start finding alternative water sources for all sorts of applications – and it seems as though interest in this is already on the rise, if this article in the Bury Free Press is anything to go by, at any rate.
Apparently, rainwater harvesting is a top priority for those in charge of this year’s Bury in Bloom, with new co-ordinator David Irvine hoping that 50 per cent of all the water used to keep the hanging baskets in the town happy and healthy this year could actually be collected water – and he wants to increase this to 100 per cent by next year.
It might sound like this might not be all that necessary, but when you think that each hanging basket drinks three to four litres of water a week, it soon adds up to a lot. Mr Irvine estimates that they need 2,000 litres each week, with a five-week stock on top of that to help if there’s low rainfall.
Rainwater harvesting is simply the process of collecting and storing rainwater, and then filtering it for reuse instead of what mains water.
Businesses often use this for the likes of vehicle washing, toilet flushing, laundry and process water, and so on… and there’s a growing need for solutions like this in order to protect our natural water sources, given climate change, a growing population and increasing urbanisation.
Mr Irvine explained that environmental and community elements now account for 60 per cent of the points in the Anglia in Bloom competition and he is keen to increase Bury’s involvement in these areas as a result.
“The hanging baskets have water reservoirs built in to avoid wasting water, which is a big plus point already. Using harvested rainwater for the hanging baskets combined with the baskets’ reservoirs will be a big plus when it comes to judging,” he went on to say,
From a business perspective, there are numerous benefits to implementing a similar system on site. These include significantly reduced water bills because you’ll be using less mains water, reduced water consumption and, as a result, a drop in your reliance on mains water – which means you’ll have fewer problems with water restrictions and rates of usage in the future.
If you’re keen to be green in 2020, you could also consider making water leak detection and repair a priority as well. Water wastage is a big issue and you may have a leak without even knowing it, wasting huge amounts – and driving your water bills up. You’re also leaving yourself open to big repair bills if you do have a leak and significant water damage occurs.
