A pretty nifty and handy "gadget" to have especially in the current water shortage is a water butt. What is it? It is a barrel-like tank that can collect rainwater from your roof's drainpipes after rain. This rainwater can then be used for watering plants in your garden, for washing you car and at times, like now when water pressure is low it might ... be handy for filling up your cistern.
A small sized water butt has a capacity of about 190 litres and is made from 100% recycled plastic. It is designed to fit a standard plastic drainpipe (not recommended for cast iron pipes!) and are designed so that they will not overflow. When the water level reaches a certain level water will flow straight through the down pipe instead of into the water butt.
The price of water butts can vary depending on the size you want, small sized tanks can start at €40 and can be purchased from the many local county councils and some garden centres.
Dublin City Council.ie provide a list of suppliers in the Dublin area.
