More than 1,000 properties on the Isle of Wight could help play their part in reducing storm overflows as Southern Water expands its roll-out of water butts.
Southern Water will offer customers in the village of Gurnard a free water butt.
This follows a successful trial in the village of Havenstreet last year, which resulted in the local overflow going six months without releasing, despite a series of heavy storms.
The Isle of Wight is 1 of 6 Pathfinder projects that have been set up by the Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force in partnership with the Isle of Wight Council, Environment Agency and Island Roads targeted with reducing storm overflows.
Each pathfinder looks at different challenges to overcoming the root causes of storm overflows – primarily rainwater overloading the system or groundwater infiltrations. Solutions being implemented include designing and building wetlands, installing sustainable urban drainage solutions, improving sewer infrastructure and utilising nature-based solutions within communities.
Over the next 3 months, Southern Water will be visiting all eligible houses in Gurnard to install slow-drain water butts free of charge, this is after we found 1,000 properties in Northwood and Gurnard that have their roof drainage connected to the foul sewer – meaning rainwater goes down the drain rather than to the environment.
Eligible roads include Woodvale Road, Woodvale Close, Shore Road, Jordan Close, Gurnard Heights, Baring Road, Rogerson Close, Solent Lawns, Pallence Road, Solent View Road, Albert Road, Worsley Road, Church Road, Nodes Road, Hilton Road, Gurnard Pines
Keith Herbert, Pathfinder Lead said,
“We are committed to reducing the use of storm overflows, the use of them is no longer acceptable and we are taking the lead in ending this practice. More than a third of the water in our sewers comes from rainwater running off roofs, this causes the sewer to become overwhelmed during heavy rain.
“What we want to do is ‘slow the flow’ of the rainwater reaching the sewer by installing slow-drain water butts at eligible households and divert rainwater pipes onto planters at larger commercial buildings. This work compliments our substantial investment programme and work with the Isle of Wight Council to manage highway drainage.”
All new builds should have some form of underground water storage facility to provide for toilet flushing and garden watering. I know of one bungalow in Cowes that has what amounts to a basement built for this purpose. Modern precast concrete rings are ideal for this purpose and when weighed against the cost of water and hosepipe bans, could well be cost effective in the long run.
sounds great, but what about when the butt is full, downpipe full, and rainwater overflowing from guttering ?? Slow drain…??
Many homes have the rain water going into sewers… just look at some of the council estates..
Slow-drain water butts have different methods of allowing the water back into the drains slowly, whilst leaving a reservoir of water in the butt for garden use. A simple method is a small bore pipe about half way down the butt that allows water to trickle into the drain gradually. Some have planters on the top that allow you to grow salad crops or flowers and surplus water drains into the butt. A small bore overflow pipe leading to a soakaway rather than a main drain also works, allowing surplus water to soak back into the ground.
i shood get a big but for free. me kids got addishanal needs. i shood be pryority case i am in greatpreston road ryde
Lmao, I thought that you already had a big butt ?
Will it be full holes so it leaks as much as Soutgern Waters pipes? How about spending the money from this virtue signalling scheme in your infrastructure Southern Water??
Many years back there were collection points to collect a free water butt, why don’t they bring that back instead of just doing selected areas? During heat wave I had a bucket by the sink to put non soap water in for garden, along with my water butts water I semi managed the heat wave last year but could always make room for another water butt. None of my efforts were taken into account with my water bill my waste water charges were extortionate.
Another simple water saving method is, when you run a hot tap, to save the cold water in 4 pint milk bottles for use in the garden. Same thing when you run a shower, bottle the cold water. We collect 2 or 3 gallons a day in this way. Not much use in the winter but makes a difference in the summer.
A ? wot, when, how, why…..put hot tap on shower and fill up bottles ?
You been on the sherry again ?