With reports of an impending hosepipe ban recently hitting headlines, Chandlers Building Supplies has announced plans to launch a pioneering water harvesting strategy to create a more sustainable water supply.
Record low levels of rainfall have resulted in seven of the South East’s water companies reporting that hosepipe bans are inevitable, with five of the seven going as far as to suggest bans may even be in place as early as 5th April.
Chandlers has devised a tiered rainwater harvesting system comprising of five complete solutions so that every home, regardless of space or budget constraints, can adopt a sustainable water programme.
Rainwater harvesting is the process of accumulating and storing rainwater for reuse. Chandlers’ range of innovative rainwater harvesting systems enables the collected rainwater to be reused in a number of ways including horticultural, agricultural, garden and even domestic use.
Not only does harvesting rainwater provide a reserve supply of water that can be used to fulfill everyday tasks such as vehicle washing and garden watering but it also contributes to more sustainable living and can even be used to subsidise utility costs, particularly when using harvested rainwater for domestic purposes.
Domestic uses of harvested rainwater include feeding rainwater to a toilet cistern and washing machines, meaning that both appliances can be run exclusively from harvested rainwater, reducing water bills and contributing to a greener home.
The tiers range from basic ‘RainStores’ that are stand-alone containers that collect rainwater which can then be used for tasks like garden watering, through to providing fully integrated ‘Gravity Systems’. These have the ability to filter water for both indoor and outdoor uses.
The more advanced, integrated systems require a greater commitment in terms of cost and labour, however the long-term benefits outweigh initial costs.
Phil Barnard, Chandlers’ Water-saving Solutions Specialist, explains:
“Unlimited water supplies have long been taken for granted but record low levels of rainfall have forced the nation to re-think the ways in which we consume this valuable resource.
“At Chandlers, our priority is to provide customers with innovative ways of storing and consuming water to help create a more sustainable environment for the future.
“We currently have five different water harvesting solutions and our priority is to ensure every home gets the right solution based on lifestyle and usage. Our staff are trained to determine which solution has the best fit to yield the best results.”
The Chandlers rainwater harvesting system will launch in their Lewes branch and be rolled out across all branches shortly.
