Story: Rob Bullock
Grimesthorpe Allotments has long suffered with low water pressure, with some plots unable to access mains water at times of high demand. Now a new project to collect rainwater will help some plots take advantage of what falls from the sky.
Grimesthorpe Community Gardens Group, working with Green City Action, have secured funds from the Council’s Climate Change Fund to harvest rainwater from the roof of the Allotment hut and distribute it to nearby plots. Allotments 45-47, 53-59, 96 and 97, which benefit least from the mains water supply, will be included in the scheme. Supplying these plots should also reduce demand on the mains supply and could improve the pressure for other plots.
Each plot will be provided with a second hand 1000 litre container, gravity fed from a large water tank by the hut. The roof area will collect about 55,000 litres of rain per year. The combined storage is enough to contain the rainfall collected between September and March, approximately 36,000 litres. The system will supply each plot with about 5,000 litres (over 1000 gallons) of water per year.
Grimesthorpe Community Gardens Group applied for planning permission and hope to start work in March 2011. There will be no charge for this installation or for water supplied and it will not alter the rent or water rates tenants pay each year.
We are holding a meeting to discuss this at the Allotment hut on Saturday 19th February 2011 at 12.00 noon after the EGM. Please join us then if you want to inspect the plans.
