The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Water saver to make splash in English country gardens
Couple hope to raise £50,000 online to pay for production run
A water-saving device produced by Tayside entrepreneurs is on the verge of being endorsed by a major English water authority.
Severn Trent’s imminent approval of Cascade Water Product’s Garden Hippo has been hailed by Carolyn Hogg and husband Peter Holdsworth.
They hope it will boost their prospects of raising £50,000 from crowdfunding to put their device into production.
The authority serving the catchments of two of Britain’s largest rivers is considering an official recommendation to include the water-saving product in its urban efficiency programme.
Carolyn said: “This is great news and we hope it can be included in the scheme that starts in August. We hope it helps our efforts with the Garden Hippo.”
The device captures waste water from the bath, shower, kitchen and utility appliances and diverts it for use in the garden.
The couple are targeting the south of England where water is scarce as their main market.
They say the Garden Hippo can pay for itself in a couple of years and users can enjoy additional savings from water authorities who give discounts for recycling.
The product prompted a flood of interest at the Royal Horticultural Society Show at Hampton Court Palace.
Carolyn said: “We had about 600 people ask about it and their comments were very favourable. One person said its genius was in its simplicity.
“We displayed the prototype but if we had the product in manufacture I reckon we could have sold up to 150.”
To finance production they have set up a crowdfunding campaign through Indiegogo to raise up to £50,000 from people via the internet.
Carolyn and Peter hope to go into production in Arbroath where Cascade is based.