Water retention

23/04/2007

A water-wise gardener is being praised by water workers for his staggering collection of 19 water butts which help keep his garden in prize-winning shape.

Retired Terence Gandy started to gather the butts in the 1970s – and says he intends to continue to add to the collection in his garden at Norsey View Drive, Billericay.

He said: “I started collecting the water butts after realising that so much water was going to waste unnecessarily.

“My water butts are fed by rainwater from the roof and I have a device which lets me shut the feed to stop overflowing water flooding the garden.”

The water butts – which range in capacity from 270 litres to 350 litres – mean that Mr Gandy can currently store more than 1,000 litres of water at any one time.

He added: “There is certainly space for more water butts in my garden so I want to keep going until I run out of room.”

Mr Gandy, a town councillor, often spends three hours a day in his garden, which won best large garden in the Billericay in Bloom competition.

Clare Ridgewell, demand planning manager at Essex & Suffolk Water said: “Mr Gandy is doing an excellent job. Water butts are an excellent way to save water – recycled rainwater is better for your plants and shrubs than tap water.

“As we operate in one of the driest regions in the country we are always pleased to hear of customers who are water-efficient in their home and garden. We hope that others will follow Mr Gandy by being equally as water-wise and we would be interested to hear of their efforts.”

For tips on how to be water-wise in the home and garden log onto www.eswater.co.uk

For further information please contact Claire Bishop on 01245 212 010.