Managing water use in pottery
How can potters use water more effectively?
Water is essential in pottery. Here are two key ways potters can reuse and recycle this precious resource.
1. Collecting wastewater with a water butt
Rainwater is great to use in pottery. Wastewater from roofs can be collected in water butts and used for throwing, glaze making and washing equipment. In fact, rainwater is better for making casting slip with than tap water due to its chemical composition (1)
Collecting wastewater with a water butt
2. Recycling wastewater with the ‘bucket technique’
Like clay, water is infinitely recyclable it just needs to be separated from the clay particles first. One way potters can do this is to wash equipment in a bucket of water throughout the day then leave it to settle overnight. The clay particles will sink to the bottom and the clean water will be on the top of the bucket and can be poured into another bucket for using again the next day. The clay scraps and slip at the bottom can then be added to the clay reclaiming pile.
Further Reading
More ideas about eco-conscious pottery can be found in these e-books from Oxford Clay:
References
Martin, Andrew (2006) The Essential Guide to Mold Making and Slip Casting, New York, NY: Lark Books
