Collecting rain water in a well chosen water butt is an easy way of watering your gardening in an environmentally friendly way. Best of all, this water is free, so you could spend less money on your water bills!
Water butts are easy to attach to your house, shed, garage or any other garden building that has a gutter and a down pipe. If a building such as greenhouse doesn’t have any, then consider having them fitted – you could save many litres of water. It is estimated that around 24,000 litres can be saved from the average house roof every year. (BBC Gardening)
It’s easy to see why water butts are a great idea:
- Reduced water bills
- Beat the dreaded hosepipe ban in the summer
- Environmentally friendly
- The water they store is un-chlorinated, unlike tap water, so is better for plants
- They come in shapes and sizes, so there’s bound to be one that suits your space
With so many water butts to choose from, how do you decide which one is right for you? 
4 Water Butt Features
- Size– the bigger the better as rain water will be plentiful and free. But avoid one that’s so large that it dominates your outdoor space aesthetically. There are plenty of space-saving designs and even wall-mounted options. Alternatively, you may want to screen off your water butt so that it isn’t easily visible within your garden.
- Materials- most are plastic, with some great terracotta and wood effect choices available. If looks are important, you can also choose models made from metal or slats of wooden cladding or for an attractive feature.
- Lids- always choose a model with a tight fitting lid, which will keep out any leaves and debris, and prevent any overly curious animals from getting stuck. If algae, slime or scum forms, you may need to add a few drops of biological rainwater treatment.
- Style– yes, water butts can be fun! Choose the look and the colour that suits you best. Some water butts double up as planters, which is a great way of saving space and keeping your outdoor space looking good. There’s whole range of decorative water butts to suit any garden. You’ll be amazed at the choices available!
Top Installation Tip:
Try to place your water butt on a stand. Most taps are at the bottom of the butt, so raise your water butt to ensure that your watering can fits under the tap.
Your water butt works by collecting water from your building’s downpipe. You’ll need to install a rainwater diverter with your water butt. We recommend the Gutter Mate diverter and filter for easy rain water diversion and filtering – with no need for ladders!
Installing a water butt in your garden will help to save one of our most precious resources: water. Take a look at our comprehensive choice of water butts, water barrels and water butt accessories.
Shop our full range at Water Butts Direct.
