A community agriculture project in South Wales is taking an innovative approach to rainwater harvesting, helping to make its organic growing operations more sustainable and resilient.
Big Meadow Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), based in the Gower, County of Swansea, produces organic vegetables for the local community, providing weekly vegetable boxes to households while supporting a more sustainable, community-led food system.
As part of its ongoing commitment to making the best use of natural resources, Big Meadow has developed a purpose-built rainwater harvesting system using Wavin SquareLine guttering to maximise the collection of rainwater from its polytunnels.
Making the most of every drop
The harvested rainwater will be stored in large tanks or a reservoir before being used to irrigate crops when required.
By capturing and reusing rainfall on site, Big Meadow can reduce its reliance on mains water, lower overall water consumption and improve resilience during periods of dry weather, providing a practical solution to one of the challenges faced by growers.
The innovative system uses two sections of SquareLine guttering, which have been nested and riveted together to create a stronger composite gutter. This allows the guttering to span between the structural tubes of the polytunnel while efficiently capturing and directing rainwater into the site's storage system.
The project is a great example of how established building and drainage products can be adapted in creative ways to support more sustainable approaches to water management.
Supporting a resilient, community-led food system
Elliott Holder, Manager at Big Meadow, said:
“Big Meadow is focused on building a resilient, community-led food system, so practical, sustainable solutions are essential. This rainwater harvesting approach helps us use natural resources more efficiently.
“We would like to thank Travis Perkins and Wavin for their great service and support in helping us to bring this project to life.”
Steve Skeldon, Above Ground Product Manager at Wavin, added:
“Community projects like this play an important role in demonstrating practical approaches to sustainability. It's great to see Big Meadow using SquareLine as part of an innovative rainwater harvesting system that supports its long-term environmental goals and helps make the most of available resources.”
Practical solutions for more sustainable water management
As the demand for more sustainable approaches to water management continues to grow, projects like Big Meadow demonstrate how simple, practical thinking can help organisations make better use of the resources already available to them.
For more information, visit our Rainwater Solutions page here.
