Welcome to our first issue of KBzine following our Summer break, during which I've braved what appear to have been most of the UK's seasons whilst pitching my tent at one festival after another, at which I get to try out a myriad of compost loos and see some unusual toilet roll holders. I'm still of the opinion that every home with a garden large enough, should have a compost loo, as they save water and don't smell.

I'm always pleased to see at these festivals (which are no-drink, no drug events at which we really do 'leave no trace' - unlike Glastonbury and the like!) how everyone strives to conserve water. Scourers dripped with hot water and washing up liquid wash plates, utensils etc. Suds and debris are then blasted away with clean water from a spray bottle. After loo visits, hands are cleaned with sanitiser and if you want to rinse, you need to use your own waterbottle, so are aware of how much you're pouring.

Showers are always interesting and my favourites are those where water is heated in a metal tank over a wood fire. You're given a bucket of hot water which has a pipe with a showerhead coming from the bottom and you hang the bucket on a hook at the top of your teepee. You can regulate flow and switch on and off when you need the water for wetting and rinsing. As someone who stands under the shower for far too long at home, this reminds me of what can be achieved when you have just one bucket of water knowing that when it's gone there's no more to be had! This system even runs a sauna, as my picture, from some years back before it was all upgraded and expanded, shows.

I don't have a water meter at home but know that the only time I waste water is when I'm under that shower. I'm thinking that if I had a meter attached to the shower, which indicated how much water I was using - with, perhaps, a device that would turn the tap off once I'd used a pre-set amount, I'd make far more efficient use of my time and resources. Now we're finally becoming more aware of our need to conserve this precious resource, perhaps this type of device could eventually become a good seller, don't you think?

Yours,

Jan Hobbs