Pioneering Sustainable Town Planning
1 December 2025
Letchworth Garden City has always stood for good ideas that last. When the first Garden City was built, its homes often included water butts as part of their design. A simple, practical feature that helped people live in tune with nature. That spirit of foresight is worth rediscovering.
As the wetter months approach, it’s the perfect time to prepare for both heavy rain and future droughts. We’ve all seen how unpredictable the weather has become: Hitchin’s flash flooding in 2024 reminded us how quickly drains can overflow, while hosepipe bans elsewhere showed how suddenly water can run short. Too much or too little, both can cause problems. An answer starts with what we do at home.
Why Rainwater Harvesting Matters Now
The East of England is one of the most water-stressed regions in the UK, yet it’s also seeing more intense rainstorms. When we capture water where it falls, we help slow the flow. protecting our streets, gardens, and neighbours from flooding.
A water butt is an easy way to do that. It stores rain safely, and it’s ready when dry weather returns. Even if you’re not into gardening, there are “leaky” or rain-garden-style butts that gradually release water back into the soil and easing flood risk. It’s simple climate resilience in action, quiet, effective, and future-proof.
Small Barrels, Big Benefits
Every water butt makes a difference:
- Reduces flood risk by holding back rainfall during storms.
- Protects homes and streets, supporting the wider drainage network.
- Supports biodiversity when paired with plants or rain-garden beds.
- Saves treated mains water, reducing strain on local supplies.
- Cuts carbon emissions linked to water treatment and pumping.
- Continues Letchworth’s original vision of practical, forward-thinking design that works with nature.
You don’t need green fingers to make a difference, this is about local resilience, not perfect flowerbeds.
Local Inspiration: See It in Action
You can see rainwater harvesting at work at Standalone Farm, where the ResilienTogether project has installed demonstration systems that show how easily they fit into daily life. They don’t just collect water, they also look good, showing that choices that are good for the environment can enhance our shared spaces.
We are working with ResilienTogether and others, helping protect and enhance the Pix Brook for current and future generations. Together, we’re building local flood resilience, restoring nature, sharing knowledge and preparing for a changing climate.
It also supports our Sustainability Strategy goals: to restore nature and use resources efficiently. Every water butt installed in Letchworth adds to that collective effort.
How to Get Started
You can make a difference today:
- Choose your style – traditional, slimline, or “leaky” rain-garden design.
- Affinity Water customers – If you are an Affinity Water customer, a sensitive and traditional design is at a good price point when stock is available: 200l Garden Lake*
- Check in with us – If your property is in one of our character areas, you’ll need our consent, check our design guides and contact home@letchworth.com.
- Fit it under a downpipe with a simple diverter kit.
- Add an overflow or tap to control where the water goes.
Most installations take less than an hour, and you’ll start collecting with the very next rainfall.
*The 200l Garden Lake design is acceptable at any property, subject to discussion about the selection of a sensitive installation location, prior to our consent.
Every Drop Helps Letchworth
Flooding and drought can both threaten our homes and landscapes—but together, we can turn rainfall from a risk into a resource. Installing a water butt is a quiet act of care that protects your property, supports wildlife, and keeps the Garden City’s founding vision alive.
This winter, install a water butt—traditional or leaky—and be part of Letchworth’s next chapter in flood and drought resilience. Visit Standalone Farm for inspiration, then make your home part of the change.
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