Water
Rain
Roofs
Guttering
See article Guttering
Floods
Flooding due to weather and local geography is impractical to prevent, other than by buying elsewhere.
Houses prone to natural flooding may be fitted with easily washed floors and walls, such as ceramic tiles.
Basement flooding may be resolved with a sump & automatic pump, or in cases where the house is on a hill often by diverting ground water around the house.
Flooding by washing machines is usually caused by blockage of the water level sensor pipe by scale. Occasional machine descaling reduces the probability of this occurrence.
Damp
Gardens
Watering of gardens encourages shallow root formation, leading to the need to water regularly. Thus minimising watering reduces the need for watering.
Perennials are much less likely to need watering after their first season than annuals.
Drains
Soakaways
Disposal of water next to the building is liable to result in damp problems. Water should be conducted ...m away from a building before being disposed of in a soakaway.
Water Supplies
Mains
Wells
Wellwater should be tested and any deficiencies corrected before being used as potable water.
Problems with wellwater may include:
- bacterial contamination
- pesticide contamination
- foul water contamination
- high mineral levels, leading to deficiency of other minerals in humans & animals.
Rain
For harvest and use of rain, see Rainwater Harvesting & Use
Grey Water
Grey water is water that has been used once, excluding foul water.
Grey water may be used for toilet flushing to reduce water consumption by up to 50%.