Regardless of where we live, and regardless of the cause, I think we can all agree that the climate IS changing before our very eyes.
Whether it be simple hosepipe bans, or France’s more stringent usage restrictions, we are all being impacted by shortage of water, and that impact is only going to become more severe as the climate continues to change.
Therefore, and in view of the fact that governments and water companies don’t seem to be exactly in a hurry to effectively address the issue, I suggest that it is time that we as individuals take some action.
My suggestion is that we should all do whatever we can to store rainwater during the winter months for use during summer shortages.
So how about if we take a look at our rainwater downpipes and ask ourselves if we could connect them to a storage tank.
Those of us with gardens and allotments probably already appreciate the benefits of storing rainwater but even the non gardeners and growers may find that as the cost of mains water increases, using a bucket of rainwater to flush the loo may have increasing attraction.
There is no doubt in my mind that the cost of mains water will have to rise substantially to pay for the additional reservoirs, and / or desalination plants that are going to be needed as the population increases and the summers become hotter and dryer. We are all going to be paying more for water, so perhaps we should all be investing now in being able to collect as much free rainwater as possible.
Whether it be an old fashioned rainwater butt on a downpipe, or something on a larger scale, I’m sure that we can all do something to help ourselves.
These days the collection receptacles come in all sorts of shapes and sizes from Romanesque columns to 10,000 litre tanks buried in the ground.
Here in France the rather utilitarian looking 1000 litre cube in a metal cage seems an affordable option and they can always be hidden from view with some planting or a fence panel.
I reckon that some ‘outside the box’ thinking may help, especially in the increasing number of areas where there is likelihood of the mains water supply totally failing, as is currently the case for over 40,000 people in the southern part of France.
Perhaps you have an under used barn or outbuilding where some plastic water tanks could be installed inside the building where they would be protected from damaging UV rays. The tanks can be interlinked, so it’s possible to start with just the one, and then add others as finances permit.
If needs be, a small pump could be added to provide a pressurised flow to wherever the water is actually needed.
Additionally, there is a possible communal benefit available. Say that the storage tanks become full by sometime in November / December, then why not slowly release some of the water into the ground on a dry day to help out the level of the underground acquifiers. Most likely there will be further rain during the winter to re-fill the tanks.
In this way our storage tanks could be used as buffers to reduce flooding from torrential rains and help to allow the water to slowly permeate the ground.
Yes, there will be a financial outlay, but also many benefits. There will be water for the garden, washing the car, flushing the toilet, boiling the vegetables, and with the aid of some sterilisation tablets from the local camping shop you could even drink it if needs be.
Long term, there will even be a benefit of reducing your water bill.
We have all become used to plentiful relatively cheap water from the mains, but it isn’t going to last. The cost will only go up and up, and even then there will be no guarantee that turning the tap on will actually provide any water, and most certainly there will be ever increasing restrictions upon the use of said water for ever lengthening periods of time.
Water is essential to all of us, so let us all do whatever we can to store it for our own benefit. Waiting for the ‘powers that be’ to do something effective will take too long, so we all need to act and invest in our own future, and we need to do it now.
