In today’s environmentally conscious world we have to ask how sustainable is the site? With over 40,000 plots and some 741 sites in London and some 300,000 plots across the UK, the ability for allotments to raise the bar on environment is very real. This is the first of a series of opportunities we aim to cover over the coming days and hope that in doing so we stimulate discussion and maybe even action.
1.
Water
On your site, how many sheds collect rainwater?
Does your site ban use of hosepipes?
Does your site even have access to mains water?
It is somewhat embarrassing to admit that less than 50% of
our site collect rainwater off the sheds. There are many reasons given for
this, from the cost of guttering and butts to the point that they simply don’t
collect enough. However, if each shed could collect rainwater it may not negate
mains wate,r but it would go a long way to reduce the demand on the mains. Some
even argue pointing to others, ‘if they don’t collect their water, why should
I?’
At our site hosepipes are banned on the basis that they
promote high water usage and it’s too easy to sit back and sprinkle everything
or quietly leave them turned on to water or flood a patch. We have limited taps
to which hoses can be attached and those are only available for those who need
fresh water to take pills etc and the majority of folk would require long
hosepipes to connect to these.
Irrigation systems attached to hoses and butts make sense
and drip feed at the place the plants need it. However, the water butts need to
be rain water fed and not mains fed. These systems are expensive and need to be
managed.
We also have a strong and diverse ethnic mix of plot holders
and some simply don’t water their plots our traditional way with watering cans
but their traditional way with large 10 litre used paint buckets which results
in the water tank quickly emptying, and the plot can soon resemble a paddy
field. This practice is not uncommon, and I have seen on other sites, but it can
be very inefficient and wasteful.
So just how much water is required to maintain a plot and
produce the expected crop?
This is dependant on location, soil, crop and of course
weather and the one thing that is certain is the unpredictability of the
weather and the demands made by some crops. Is mulching a common practice? Is
the soil moisture retentive? Is the location on a slope? Do raised beds demand
more water?
Those who don’t have mains water and have to bring their
water in containers to their plots will respect that water used more and say that
the plot absorbs a lot of water and appreciate every bit has to be taken there.
However, those with easy access to mains water may take water for granted and
even think about pouring some 15 watering cans on their plot every day in
summer.
The cost of water is often universally applied so
irrespective of plot size, or whether you collect rainwater, or how much you
use the cost is shared by all. Water is itemised separately within our site’s
rent invoices and this allows us to vary it if costs or usage rises without it affecting
our other income. Each plot pays £10 per year for water or just under 20p a
week.
So how do we promote, educate and get plot holders to use
less or at least less mains water?
Some would suggest varying the costs by size of plot, others
in giving a discount to those who collect rainwater. Some suggest reducing the
pressure sufficient to impact the speed the tanks refill but those at the end
of the run might then never get any but pay the same as those at the beginning
of the run. Some say raise the cost, so it becomes clearer but even doubling
today’s cost still is relatively cheap.
The allotment water solution is not down to one silver
bullet but in understanding the site and usage, education and getting all sheds
to collect rainwater efficiently. Perhaps we should consider finding a sponsor
to help pay for butts and guttering throughout the site and in our case
reducing the number of tanks.
