WATER-wise households that collect rain to use in the garden are not only helping themselves, but also helping the environment.

Water has a carbon cost from the energy used to both treat and transport mains water.

But capturing rain for toilet flushing, laundry and general cleaning as well as garden irrigation has a much bigger saving, and meeting representatives from water engineering contractors, M J Abbott at last month’s Business Expo, proved educational.

The Dinton company has become a specialist in this field and Nigel Pritchard explained to me that the simple idea behind rainwater harvesting is to save water.

“In this country we are a bit behind in utilising rainwater compared to Scandinavia and other European countries who regularly incorporate rainwater harvesting into new build properties. We work with builders in putting a new property together as rainwater harvesting can be incorporated in the design, and although there is cost involved, there is also payback.”

It is estimated that up to 50 per cent of mains water consumption can be reduced in a home that collects, filters and stores free rainwater.

“Water conservation is a big issue, especially with the erratic weather patterns we have already experienced in this country, such as flash flooding, which causes a problem as water builds up,” said Mr Pritchard.

Another area where M J Abbott specialises is in promoting permeable solutions to front gardens, which have been either paved or covered in tarmac. “Thankfully, there is now legislation preventing total hard surfacing on a front garden,”

said Mr Pritchard.

Gardens can play an important role in flood prevention, acting as valuable natural soakaways for rainwater, but only if the whole garden has not been paved or covered in tarmac. Even areas used for parking can incorporate soakaway areas, by using permeable materials.