Rainwater harvested to help charity lower costs

The water will be used to flush toilets and run washing machines

Rainwater will be collected and filtered to help lower utility costs for a charity supporting single people who may otherwise be homeless.

Glen Carne houses 35 people who have been referred by local agencies such as Cornwall Council, homeless charities and mental health teams.

Each resident has their own room with shared cooking and laundry facilities which currently use metered water, the charity said.

A new underground tank was installed at its site in St Agnes, Cornwall, thanks to £15,000 of funding from South West Water. The tank collects and filters rainwater, which will then be used for flushing toilets and running washing machines.

When the tank is full, any excess water will be used to top up a wildlife pond at the site, which is home to ducks and other species.

CEO of the charity Matt Gavan said the project was a practical and sustainable improvement which would benefit both people and the environment.

"The new rainwater harvesting system will help us reduce our environmental impact, lower utility costs, and invest more into the support and services we provide to our residents," he added.

SWW said the tank would save an estimated 258,550 litres (56,873 gallons) of treated water every year.