In Australia we have a big water shortage problem with lots of great ideas about desalination and grey-water recycling flying around, but the only way to collect and re-use shower water is to put buckets in the shower with you or start replumbing. Theres got to be a better plan. I'm thinking along the lines of a 10cm high X 90cm X 90cm plastic storage box that fits in the shower recess with a nice teak top to stand on and an inbuilt hand top. Bilge pump to empty the water as required....

The sound of running water can be soothing, but the gurgle of water rushing thru the downpipes at night can be annoying and keep you awake. Thus...The Silent Downpipe! I envisage something that could be retro-fitted to existing pipes, but there would need to be versions for round and rectangular pipes. Or a totally new downpipe that can fit to new houses. Some understanding of the rotational direction of the water would be required. Anticlockwise in the southern hemisphere and reverse...