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For most gardens, start with a water butt. It is a relatively simple way to capture roof runoff at a downpipe and use it for watering. Choose a larger rainwater-harvesting system when you need substantially more storage, pumped water at several outlets, or a planned supply for non-potable indoor uses such as toilet flushing. That extra capacity brings excavation or structural work, pumps, overflow design, maintenance and higher cost.
The sensible choice follows your intended use and dry-weather demand, then your roof area, local rainfall, available space, delivery method and drainage requirements. A water butt is useful, but it will not guarantee water through every dry spell and it is not automatically a compliant sustainable-drainage system.
Water butt or rainwater-harvesting system: what is the difference?
A water butt is a small storage tank connected to a roof downpipe. Rainwater is diverted into the tank and drawn from a tap, normally by gravity. The Foundation for Water Research describes common UK household garden systems as plastic tanks of about 100–250 litres connected to an existing downpipe and fitted with a tap. This is the straightforward option for watering beds, containers, lawns and similar outdoor jobs.
A larger rainwater-harvesting system is designed around a greater demand or more demanding distribution. It may collect runoff in an underground tank, use a pump to supply outside taps, and, where designed and installed appropriately, feed non-potable fixtures such as toilet flushing. Government guidance describes these systems as potentially expensive and difficult to retrofit because they require equipment, space and specialist understanding.
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| Decision factor | Water butt | Larger rainwater-harvesting system |
|---|---|---|
| Typical job | Garden watering and comparable outdoor use | More storage, pumped outdoor delivery or planned indoor non-potable use |
| Typical scale | About 100–250 litres for common UK household garden systems | Capacity is calculated from demand, rainfall, catchment and available space |
| How water reaches you | Usually a tap using gravity | A pump is often needed, especially for house supply or multiple outlets |
| Installation | Downpipe diverter, tank, tap and a robust level base | May involve excavation, tank access, pump controls, filtration, overflow routing and specialist installation |
| Cost and retrofit | Lower complexity; current prices vary | Higher complexity; government guidance warns that retrofitting can be expensive and difficult |
| Drainage role | Garden-only use in dry periods does not automatically meet development drainage standards | Can contribute when designed to the applicable standard and regular demand basis |
These distinctions are described in the Foundation for Water Research guide, GOV.UK front-garden guidance and England’s national SuDS standards.
Choose by the job you need the water to do
Choose a water butt for ordinary garden watering
A butt is usually the right fit if you want to fill a watering can, hose a small garden, water containers or wash outdoor items. It can be fitted beside the downpipe without redesigning the house’s plumbing. A tap at the bottom makes access easy, although pressure is limited by the water level and height difference. If you need a stronger flow or an outlet far from the tank, a pump may be more practical than relying on gravity.
Choose a larger system for high or distributed demand
Consider a tank-and-pump design when one small tank repeatedly empties, when several outdoor taps need serving, or when the available roof catchment and garden demand justify storing more water. An underground tank preserves surface space but requires suitable excavation, access for inspection and cleaning, and a safe route for overflow.
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Choose specialist design for indoor non-potable use
Toilet flushing or other internal uses require a properly designed non-potable installation, not simply a hose from a garden butt. The system must keep harvested water separate from drinking-water plumbing, provide reliable pumping and controls, and deal with periods when stored rainwater runs out. The sources here do not establish the full UK requirements for internal connections, so obtain advice from a qualified installer and check local building and water-supply requirements before work begins.
Work out whether your site can support either option
Estimate demand during dry weather
Begin with the water you actually expect to use when rain is least reliable. Note how many containers, beds and lawn areas need watering, how often you water, and whether you also plan to wash cars or outdoor surfaces. A small roof and a high-demand garden may empty a 200-litre tank quickly; a modest container garden may not justify a buried tank and pump.
Check the roof catchment
Only the roof area draining to the chosen downpipe contributes to that tank. Multiple downpipes can feed separate butts or a larger collection system, but each connection needs compatible diverters and a safe overflow route. A larger tank cannot create water that the catchment and local rainfall do not supply.
Account for local rainfall without overpromising yield
Historical figures illustrate scale but are not forecasts. A DEFRA article quoted an average summer rainfall of 195.8 millimetres for England and Wales over 1971–2000 and calculated that nearly 640 litres could potentially be collected from a 7 ft by 5 ft shed over an average summer. That is an illustration based on an old climate period, not a guarantee for your location or a particular season. Use local rainfall data and conservative assumptions when sizing a system.
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Find a safe, usable location
A full tank is extremely heavy. Place a butt on a suitably robust, level base specified for the tank, not on loose soil, a weak deck or an improvised stack of blocks. Leave enough room to operate the tap, inspect the diverter and remove the lid or access cover for cleaning. For a buried tank, verify ground conditions, vehicle loading, access for installation and future maintenance.
Plan overflow before connecting the inlet
When the tank is full, excess water must go somewhere that will not undermine foundations, flood a path or overwhelm a neighbour’s property. Use the manufacturer’s overflow arrangement or a properly designed connection to a suitable drain, soakaway or planted area. Poorly installed or undersized tanks can create overflow damage; New Zealand technical guidance highlights this risk even though its regulatory framework is not UK law.
How to install a basic water butt
- Confirm the downpipe and location. Measure the downpipe, identify the section to be cut or adapted, and choose a level position close enough for a diverter to reach. Check that the tank, stand and tap will not obstruct a walkway.
- Prepare the base. Build or use a firm, level support rated for the full tank. A raised stand improves access to the tap but increases the forces on the base, so follow the tank maker’s support instructions.
- Fit a compatible diverter. Use a diverter matched to the downpipe profile and tank inlet. Follow its marked cut height and maintain the required fall or hose route; an incorrectly positioned diverter can stop filling or cause leaks.
- Connect the inlet and overflow. Secure the hose or connector, fit seals, and route the overflow to a safe discharge point. Do not allow overflow to run against a wall or foundation.
- Install and test the tap. Fit the tap with its supplied washer, keep it closed while filling, and check every joint during the first rainfall or a controlled hose test. Correct leaks before leaving the system unattended.
- Keep debris and insects out. Use the supplied lid, screen or filter. Keep the inlet and tap accessible so sediment and organic matter can be removed during maintenance.
A stand and a compatible downpipe diverter are useful accessories, but dimensions and downpipe profiles differ. Check measurements before buying rather than assuming parts will interchange.
When a larger harvesting system is justified
Storage and distribution
A larger design can combine several roof sections into an underground or large above-ground tank. A pump can then provide useful pressure at outside taps or deliver water to a house system. Pump selection must match flow, lift, electrical supply and the number of outlets; this is one reason a specialist design is preferable for anything beyond a simple garden installation.
Maintenance and access
Include an inspection opening, a way to remove accumulated sediment, and screens or filters that can be cleaned. General technical guidance also discusses first-flush devices, which divert the initial, dirtier runoff after a dry period. Their usefulness depends on the roof, surrounding contamination and intended use; they do not make untreated water potable.
Reliable backup
Indoor demand continues when rainfall does not. A system intended for toilet flushing therefore needs a controlled mains-water backup or another approved arrangement, with appropriate separation from drinking-water supplies. Do not improvise a cross-connection from a garden tank.
Costs, savings and payback: read old figures correctly
Current retail prices were not established by the sources available here, so treat any quotation as historical context rather than a shopping price. The Foundation for Water Research’s 2024 guide reports an older estimate of £30–£60 for a typical 200-litre butt, stand and fittings, or £50–£100 when installed by a builder or plumber. Those figures reflect the guide’s earlier assumptions and should not be presented as today’s price.
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The same guide estimated potential household savings of £4–£8 per year and a payback of around seven years using historic water charges and consumption assumptions. Your result depends on whether water is metered, the tariff, how much rain you collect, how much you would otherwise use from the mains, and whether the tank is full when you need it. A butt bought for environmental or resilience reasons may be worthwhile even when financial payback is small; do not treat the historic estimate as a promise.
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England drainage and water-use rules to understand
Rainwater abstraction position
The Environment Agency’s regulatory position statement applies to England. It says no abstraction licence is needed for qualifying harvested rainwater that remains isolated from inland surface water or groundwater and is used for irrigation rather than as a water supply, subject to the statement’s conditions. Combining harvested rainwater with specified other sources in a reservoir that discharges to inland waters can require an abstraction licence. The statement was updated on 28 January 2021, is valid until April 2029 and is subject to review, so check the current version for a specific site: Environment Agency rainwater-harvesting regulatory position statement.
SuDS and development projects
England’s national standards for sustainable drainage distinguish a system designed around regular daily non-potable demand from a butt used only for garden watering in dry periods. A rainwater-harvesting system designed to BS EN 16941 and based on regular daily demand can count toward the stated interception approach. A normal garden butt does not automatically satisfy that development requirement unless it is designed to guarantee storage and calculations demonstrate compliance. This distinction matters to planning and drainage design; it does not mean an ordinary homeowner needs a full SuDS design merely to install a butt.
Read the current standard at DEFRA’s National standards for sustainable drainage systems.
Water quality and health: what not to assume
Roof runoff can contain leaves, bird or other animal droppings, roof metals and chemical residues. Do not drink harvested water or describe it as potable without suitable treatment and a design that meets applicable requirements. New Zealand Building Performance guidance explains that treatment is necessary for drinking and other household uses beyond toilet flushing and laundry. That is useful technical context, but it is New Zealand guidance, not UK regulatory advice.
For UK indoor use, consult the local authority, water supplier and a qualified specialist about treatment, backflow protection, pipe identification, storage hygiene and any building-control requirements. For garden watering, keep the water out of drinking-water containers, label non-potable outlets and prevent children or pets from accessing open tanks.
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The New Zealand guidance is available at Collecting and using rainwater.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common failure modes and practical fixes
The butt never fills
Check that the diverter is installed at the correct height, the inlet hose slopes toward the tank, the lid or filter is not blocked, and the downpipe is actually collecting roof runoff. A diverter set too low or a disconnected hose can send water straight down the drain.
The tap has weak flow
Gravity pressure falls when the water level is low and when the outlet is only slightly above the watering can. Raise the tank only on a properly engineered base, clear sediment from the tap and use a pump if the required flow or distance exceeds gravity delivery.
Water backs up or spills near the wall
Inspect the overflow, inlet screen and tank capacity. Route overflow away from masonry and foundations, and never block the downpipe as a substitute for a real overflow path.
The stored water smells or contains sludge
Remove leaves and sediment, clean screens and inspect the tank at intervals appropriate to the site. Reduce organic entry with a secure lid and first-flush arrangement where suitable. Cleaning does not make contaminated water safe to drink.
The system runs dry during a drought
Reduce demand, prioritise valuable plants, add storage only after checking catchment and overflow capacity, and retain a mains or hose backup for essential uses. No tank size can overcome a prolonged period with little rainfall if demand remains high.
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- Use a water butt if your main aim is occasional or regular garden watering from one downpipe.
- Look at a larger tank when your demand repeatedly exceeds small-tank storage or you need several pumped outlets.
- Get specialist advice before supplying toilets or any internal plumbing.
- Measure roof catchment, estimate dry-weather demand and check local rainfall before choosing capacity.
- Provide a strong, level base, safe overflow and access for cleaning.
- Do not use historical prices, savings or rainfall illustrations as guarantees.
- Check England-specific Environment Agency and SuDS rules when the project involves development drainage, reservoirs or discharge to inland waters.
- Keep harvested water non-potable unless a qualified design and suitable treatment establish otherwise.
Why a water butt is often the sensible first step
For a typical garden, a water butt captures the largest benefit with the fewest moving parts: it uses an existing downpipe, stores a modest volume and provides water at a tap. Move to a designed harvesting system when a measured need—storage volume, pumping, multiple outlets or regular indoor non-potable demand—justifies the additional installation and maintenance. That staged approach avoids paying for a pump and buried tank before you know how much water your garden actually uses.
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As DEFRA’s 2011 article put it, “A water butt is a simple investment which can reduce the impact your garden has on the environment.” The statement is historical and attributed to Agriculture and Food Minister Jim Paice; it should not be read as a current measured savings claim.
The original article is archived at DEFRA’s “No ifs, it’s time for water butts”. For general UK system design context, see the Foundation for Water Research guide and GOV.UK guidance on permeable front gardens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I connect more than one water butt to a downpipe?
Yes, provided the connectors, tank levels and overflow route are compatible. Link tanks only after checking the manufacturer’s instructions and ensure the combined weight is supported safely.
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Will a water butt stop rainwater entering the drain?
Only while it has spare capacity and the diverter is functioning. Once full, water must follow a safe overflow route; a butt is not a guarantee of permanent drainage interception.
Can I use rainwater in a pressure washer?
It can be suitable for an outdoor, non-potable task if the equipment manufacturer permits it and the water is screened well enough for the pump. Keep the setup separate from drinking-water plumbing.
Is an underground tank always better than an above-ground butt?
No. Underground storage saves surface space and can provide more volume, but excavation, access, pumping, electrical work and overflow design add cost and maintenance. Choose it only when those benefits match your demand.
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