On Thu, 24 May 2007 19:47:08 +0100, Peter Twydell
wrote:

I want to fit guttering and downpipes to our detached garage with a
pitched roof to discharge into a water butt on each side. Each half of
the roof is about 20 m2 in area.
What do I do about surplus water? At the moment it just runs of the roof
onto the ground (no gutters, as implied above). Do I have to provide a
soakaway or suchlike, or can it just overflow from the butts?

As a slight aside...

I have disposed of the need for a tap, connecting a piece of plastic hose with a
U loop at the end. The remainder of the existing downpipe has been cut off just
below the top of the butt, such that when not in use the U can be dropped into
it.

This has two benefits.

1) We don't have to fiddle with the tap, simply unlatching the 'hook' and
dropping it into the watering can.

2) During heavy rain, the water in the butt is circulated out - well in theory -
and is less likely to get stagnant.

There is 1 definite downside...

I have made the U from 15mm copper, which I suppose is about the same as the tap
outlet and so during peirods of heavy rain, the butt overflows which is not a
problem in my particular case. I've always thought I could perfect the idea but
never bothered.

Andy