As the UK faces its third heatwave of the year, parts of the country have introduced hosepipe bans to manage dwindling water supplies. Anglian Water, serving eastern England, implemented a ban at the weekend. But gardening legend Alan Titchmarsh has a simple solution: every home should have a water butt.
What Is a Water Butt?
A water butt is a large container that collects rainwater from downpipes. In a video on his YouTube channel, Titchmarsh explained: "If you have been hit with a hosepipe ban there are ways you can still get water to your plants. One thing this garden does have plenty of is water butts. Every home should have water butts. What's in here is free." He noted that plants grow better when watered with rainwater.
How to Install a Water Butt
Titchmarsh recommended fitting downpipe diverters to prevent overflow: "You can get down pipes with diverters in them which carry on filling this until it's full and then the water goes down the drain." He also suggested using a portable electric water pump to irrigate plants from the butt.
Climate Context
The advice comes amid growing concern over UK heatwaves. Dr Mark McCarthy, Manager of Climate Attribution at the Met Office, said: "2026 has been exceptional for the two early season heatwaves in May and June. These have smashed records that had stood from May 1944 and June 1976 respectively." He added that human-caused climate change is leading to more frequent and intense summer heatwaves.
Dr Clair Barnes, Research Associate at Imperial College London, warned: "It's time we woke up to the fact that we now live in a country with dangerously hot summers. To protect people during future extremes, we must urgently adapt to the reality of the climate we now have, and double down on global efforts to reach net zero emissions to stop this from getting worse."
