Wiser ways with water
Jack Wallington is a landscape designer and writer who specialises in ecological growing. He’s the author of Wild about Weeds and A Greener Life
Water is the life-source of our gardens and while it may seem we’re never in short supply, it’s a limited and precious resource.
If your water is supplied on a meter you’ll already have a personal incentive to reduce tap-water use because it will save you money. There are, however, bigger incentives for us all to be water-wise in the garden, because it reduces the strain on water reserves supplied from our natural environment.
Tap water comes from natural sources fed by rain: reservoirs and lakes topped up by rain and water run-off, streams and rivers, or else it’s drawn directly from rivers or natural underground reserves.
These sources we rely upon have an impact on the natural environment in a number of ways. Reservoirs are often formed by drowning valleys, so the fewer we need built the better. And every time we use mains water, it takes a long journey down the line from natural environments like streams, rivers and wetlands.
“By using less tap water, we reduce chemicals released into the environment, and
