That’s our plan. It may be cold and wet as I type this on a February afternoon, but recall the dry spring/early summer 2020 during lockdown, the hot & dry spells in 2019 when Cambridge broke the UK temperature record, and the very long hot & dry 2018 season. Rainwater butts were empty and we had to wait for the dip tanks to re-fill. We should aim for better water provision on site, and we should make the fullest possible use of rainwater to reduce dependency on the expensive mains supply.

Ideally, we want every plot to have water nearby, informed by our interactive map.

Our strategy has three parts:

1. Superbutts – Large rainwater containers collecting from our existing roofs. A 6250L butt by the Trading Hut will serve plots 13, 14B, 14D, 17B, 17D, 18A, 18C, 18D, 19A, 19B & 19C. It will have a dip tank for convenient use. Expect calls for help installing all this. If this works out we may add superbutts on the polytunnel.
2. Auxiliary dip tanks – Connected to the existing tanks at plots 16A and 18B, these will double the current capacity for immediate use at busy times, so there will be less queuing to fill your watering cans.
3. Rainwater butts on all sheds – The committee wants to see covered butts collecting rainwater from every roof on site, including all sheds and chicken huts. On the veg plots, currently 22 of our sheds have butts collecting up to 24,000L of summer rain. 20 other sheds do not have butts: these could collect another 17,000L. To help you install cost-effective rainwater collection we will purchase some good quality water butts and guttering and offer to you at a good price, all on site at the Trading Hut. Watch out for Pat’s emails with details. If you cannot afford these or need practical advice, please contact the committee and we will help.