Hosepipe ban

Watermain between me & Choppers place has burst again. Road is like a river, took em years to fix it last time.

 

I'll say one thing more.
If and its a big IF, we all end up on standpipes by the end of summer I'm sure there will be riots in the streets again, but this time over the carwash still operating, the golfcourse still watering, along with the cricket pitches.
The building sites with the ever running hose, and any other pointless use of water that is still allowed to continue, just because its considered, "commercial".

 

post some citations then please. Much as I like you and find your opinions and judgements valuable, what one man hears from another, and passes on, is already 3rd hand ... some of what you know is 1st hand of course (it will be 3rd hand before the night is out though ...!!) but your opinions, corroborated, are then worth their weight in gold.

I'm very happy to be educated in areas where I am ignorant of the facts.

"we have had hosepipe bans many times since '76, especially in the mid-90's"

Indeed. Although not (as I recollect it and/or not in this area) on this scale of seriousness (and not, to my recollection, in Anglian area - although my memory is not reliable enough to be sure).

"It was mainly about the considerable increase in water usage because of the projected increase in the population and of changes in demographics and lifestyles."
There are areas which have built housing in excess of the supply available. Irrespective of the stupidity of that (either building them, or not providing sufficient supply of water), which I'm sure we can agree on, those areas will have hosepipe bans / shortages for years to come until "supply" infrastructure (whether reservoirs or long-distance pipes to other areas) is built - thus those consumers will benefit from "water conservation gardening" more than in, say, my area where we use ground water, mostly, and thus are usually unaffected (we have very low rainfall anyway, "less than Israel" or somesuch is bandied about, and as such we have a water infrastructure suitable for low rainfall - areas that normally get lots, but occasionally the rains fails, are much more likely to have a more frequent once-a-decade, or so, problem). So they perhaps have the most to gain in the short to medium term.

In another forum I read which has some international members there has been useful discussion about what they do - things which are 2nd nature to them, and they are probably astonished at how lax we are about water usage !

"That was without the leakage of nearly 40% of water through antiquated pipes."

We can regret that, we can blame the time when it was all nationalised for their being nothing spent on infrastruce, or we can blame the current water companies for not doing mroe / faster [but I suspect maybe the consumers would not like the cost ...], and we can blame the current greedy fat-cat and short-sighted & short-term "poftis" culture), but we are where we are.

Do the leaks matter? Of course they do ... sorry ... I mean are they truely signfiicant? Apart from the cost and effort of making the water suitable for drinking (which is a personal annoayance of mind if water is then lost through leaks, or I put it on my garden, or I use it to flush my look for that matter ...) doesn't the water that leaks seep back into the ground water, and thus is not actually "lost"?

Would fixing the leaks mean we got 100% of the water to the consumer, but then the 40% that is currently leaking (on my assumption: back into the ground water) wouldn't be there to "harvest" again?

 

6" main on the edge of my property burst about a week ago. Man came out, said they could start "tomorrow" and they were here and started work at 10-past-midnight!

For every "it took them ages" story I doubt you actually hear about all the others that were done in a reasonable way & time ...

 

What I read (take that as you see fit ...) is that Commercial will be banned too shortly, they are just being allowed some extra time to prepare.

But, yeah, I could pay someone (my daughter?) to wash my car if they were providing a "service" - and I suppose they could use MY hose to do it!

 

I was thinking that to Pete. Look at all the football pitches and other sports venues where water is just wasted. What about the all important Olympics coming up in summer. I bet they find the water for that
Just buy on of these http://www.wickes.co.uk/rain-diverter-kit/invt/543003/?source=123_74 connect it to your bath/shower pipe and jobs a pigeon.
Oh just a thought is it possible for the water board to reduce the water pressure to everyone's property so that we don't use.as much?

 

I think the hosepipe issue affects us all differently because of our different gardens and what we grow in them, also our investment (financial and emotional) which is very personal so I can understand that.

My issue is that our water is privatised which my personal opinion is wrong and I also think a national water strategy is essential (I'm thinking of more serious things that are possible in the future beyond a simple hosepipe ban) - I'm afraid I'm a fuddy duddy dyed in the wool old hippyish socialist

In terms of it affecting me this year, it probably won't too badly as I tend to think of my garden as a part of nature and it generally fends for itself apart from spot watering of things (fruit trees/veg/new plantings). It's very mature so seems to handle things fairly well and I don;t mind a bit of dry grass. Last year I used the hose twice I think and manged with water from 3 water butts and some tap water. But my approach is mostly based on the fact that I have holidays and can be away from home for periods of time (sadly I've lots a fair amout of veg that way though).

Let's all hope for the best for our gardens this year and enjoy them whatever ... I do feel sorry for our local farmers though who are having a real rough time of it so they say.

Jack, wash your mouth out with soap, drinking water when it is about to become so scarce, I wouldn't be so irresponsible

 

Kristen, it does not help the immediate problem by complaining what should be done in the long term ... we need to look at possible legal solutions now (such as the irrigarion systems)

the problem is this year and not in 5 years when all the leaks are sorted .... to fix the leaks, in a short time will increase the cost we pay for water and people will be cheesed off

as regards the grounwater, you recently mentioned something about boreholes, this was discussed a weeks ago on this thread:
http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/...th-it-aint-drought-warning.40702/#post-514723

so, the best short term solution is the irrigation system IMHO

 

I just wanted to point out that I was 8 years old in 1976 & the only thing I remember about that year was having a damm fine summer holiday in the sun. Hoping that this year will be as good, but all we seem to get around here at the moment is grey.

And now, on with the moaning...

 

I was 21 Nick, and I remember it well.
Best summer of all time

 

Start being good community members!? Droning on!?

Need a hand down from that horse of yours or just wrong side of the bed this morning?

 

Ahh 1976 "Save Water" Shower with a friend :-) and doubled the population needing drinking water

"Save Water" Put two house bricks in your toilet cistern, Plumbers delight replacing smashed toilet pans (try not to drop the bricks next time)

Mulch your garden plants, to retain as much moisture as possible

Jack McHammocklashing

 

I posted a new thread:

http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/water-conservation-gardening.41444/

 

Always good to see a 'lively debate' on any subject which affects us gardeners.
Some good posts and points well made.
As a gardener (along with Kristen), in the driest part of the country, who gardens on light, sandy soil I've had to adapt my style of gardening over the years to allow for this.
2011 was locally recorded as the second driest year in the last century, but I made the best of a bad job and got on with it.
A few constructive suggestions based on my experiences over the years:

Incorporate as much compost/manure/organic matter into your soil as possible at every opportunity. This aids soil moisture retention as well as producing healthier plants less likely to be badly affected by adverse conditions. It really makes a difference.

Accept that there are some plants which will simply never thrive in your garden if it tends towards dryness. If a plant is described as preferring a 'moist site' it will die in my garden, simple as that. Yes, I could spend hours every summer watering it constantly to keep it alive in a place which is alien to it, but what's the point? Gardening should be about working with nature and the weather, not a constant battle against them.

Find out which plants do grow happily in your garden and encourage them. Many annuals and biennials quite happily seed themselves around my garden and reappear every year with little input from me, apart from their initial introduction. I've tried many over the years, some of which simply give up, so I cross them off the list. What's left are the survivors, those that can handle the conditions. Evolution at work.

Don't underestimate the humble vegetable when it comes to drought tolerance. True, there are those which bolt at the first sign of a dry spell (lettuce, spinach, fennel etc.), but I have discovered that many other vegetables normally regarded as needing plenty of water to produce a decent crop are in fact quite capable of doing so without copious amounts of irrigation.
My potato crop was quite acceptable last year, despite receiving virtually no rain throughout April and May and a minimal amount in July and August. Although the soil surface remained like dust, there was enough moisture in the soil at the depth at which potatoes have their roots to enable them to grow and form some decent tubers.
Likewise, my sweet corn plants once again produced a good crop with only some initial watering to establish them during the first two weeks after planting out. Sweet corn very quickly establishes a deep and extensive root system (notice how hard they are to dig up at the end of the summer?) which enables it to cope admirably with dry conditions.
The same applies with brassicas. I don't bother with summer brassicas, preferring to grow overwintering types such as such as sprouting broccoli, winter cabbage and savoy, winter/early spring maturing cauliflower, spring cabbages and autumn calabrese. As with sweet corn, after some initial watering during the first two or three weeks after planting out in mid-summer, they are fine, (brassicas are tough). They will all be maturing at a time of year when dryness and heat is simply not an issue, so again it's all about adapting what you grow and what your expectations are.
Lastly, look on the bright side; a dry spell means less weed growth, less slug and snail activity and more time you can spend in the garden rather than stuck indoors watching the rain fall.

 

Useful (?) link below regarding drought tolerant plants................

http://www.themediterraneangardener.co.uk/drought-tolerant-plants/