Catch it while you can

Fran, its just that if other countries in the world get short of water they use their rivers, we on the other hand seem to rely upon small springs and streams and expect them to supply us with all the water we need.
When these run dry due to less than average rainfall the rivers appear untouched.
We could end up in the situation where were queueing at stand pipes with the rivers in full flow, and that would be a disgrace in so called modern society I believe.
Anyway, as they say this torrential rain is not helping the problem at all, we could be wading through the floods to get to the standpipes. :D

 

:D :D Well my clay is certainly topped right up - I even managed some planting between the showers - everything is looking very lush

 

This was the scene outside my front garden last March. The problem was not heavy rain but water being pumped from the construction site of a new estate straight into the drains system. The water flowed along till it came UP out of our highway drains. Could I get it sorted? County Council blamed District Council who blamed the water supply company who blamed the water disposal company. So I took a whole lot of photos like this and got them into the local newspapers. That worked!



We straighten the rivers so the water rushes to the sea. We build houses on water meadows so they flood. We concrete over the soil so the water cannot soak down to top up the water table. We all have daily showers and baths and wash far more than our grandparents did. We waste gallons of cold water waiting for our hot water to run hot. We wash our cars too often for vanity rather than safety. Industry drains streams dry.
We build vast new estates, plumb in fresh water for their baths, showers and jacuzzis but do nothing about the sewers that have to cope with a through flow far greater than they were designed for by Victorian engineers. We do little to retain and re-cycle water that we use. Why can't we re-use it?

Every farm and village had a well and pump. Many cottages and houses did too. A near neighbour is trying to find his well and re-open it. So many were capped off when mains water arrived. Ever get the feeling that life as we know it just has to change?

 

I agree with every thing you say.And remember that life with my G-Parents...hard but self sustained.

 

Yes, I agree totally.Where I used to live, heavy rain frequently resulted in the river overflowing and drains welling up, unable to cope with the run-off from land built over and fields enlarged.
We all rely far to much on centralised power and water, and new building is making no attempt to use the new technology that we have.
New houses could have big holding tanks and filtration systems for water, solar panels for heating and lighting, heatpumps for greenhouses, etc. Water and wind mills could be reinstated where position allows, and land owners asked nicely to replace hedges and ditches they were given grants to grub out and infill.
All small steps, but they would add up. What makes me very cross is getting charity appeals for water filters, wells to be dug, solar systems-all simple things and apparently available cheaply.
I feel a rant starting.... :eek:

 

Spot on Liz. I live in an area earmarked by the Government for major expansion, houses and industry - the water companies highlighted that they would not be able to support that size developement in this area, which is one of the driest parts of the UK.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's response - not we will ensure that the developement is built with stringent water conservation, recycling measures and introduce the same technology within the surrounding area to ensure little increase in demand. No they responded, that it was the water companies statutory responsibility to provide water so they must provide it.

The developers of course will do the minimum without government directions - they don't care, they are there to build houses, sell them, and move on. Environment - they couldn't give a stuff.

But that is this government's standard dogma, in health, education, whatever - JFD - (Just F..... Do) - sorry - and its the public that does and will suffer from their sound bite, short termism.

 

Well said Fran, Liz et al. It's time that gardeners ran the country. No amount of huffing and puffing from Two Jag's dept is going to make it rain more water. Joined up thinking? They've never heard of it. They operate in water tight (groan!) compartments

 

Main problem, too many people, not enough space.
That said, I'm sure most of these new houses they build arn't needed. Its a case that the population of an area will swell to fit the available housing.
Most people that buy these new houses come in from other areas, locals cant find houses.
Equally, most are expensive properties, with just a few so called "affordable" ones being built, its a money making scam that would stop dead at the first sign of a drop in property prices.

 

Spot on Pete.

 

Yep. And why do house prices not drop or stabilise? The price used to be determined by the price that the first time buyers could afford. Now home owners are buying second or third homes and letting them out. So the prices keep rising way, way above the means of ordinary young people in ordinary jobs with ordinary paypackets. Once upon a time, the term "property developer" was despised. Now everyone thinks they can make a killing after watching those dreadful television progammes that Mrs Hornbeam likes so much.

 

I couldn't agree more. When the government or media talks about the problem of house buying they talk about "key" personel such as teachers, policemen and other professional people and never the manual workers on half their wage, they haven't a hope of getting a mortgage for the cheapest houses which around here would be seven times some folks joint income. :( As you say the housing stock is going to seconds and lets and also the hundreds of thousands of foreign "visitors".

 

Dont get me going on foreign "visitors" strongy.
I'll probably get arrested by the secret police. Its not a "free" country anymore especially when it comes to "free speach."
Also agree about key workers nurses, teachers and police earn far more than somebody in my job, I'm not complaining, I think they deserve it, but there is a large part of the population that is well below their pay level and I dont think we could do without them either.

 

When I moved here I noticed that Patsies water rates were about a third of Anglian Waters in Milton Keynes where I previously lived, and my neighbour mentioned "HOSEPIPE BAN!!!!! have not had one of those since '76".
Then I found out that Portsmouth Water own all the spring heads down near Hayling Island/Southsea etc all in all about 128 of them. These are fed straight of the South Downs and apparently the old owners of the company were a bit ahead of there time and also setup reservoirs underground along the downs.
Which all goes to prove if you manage your resources properly and adjust ahead for the future, things can be kept under control to everyones benefit.

Just a rant you understand......

 

Exactly Pete - Thames Water, and some of the other water companies, including East Anglia get their water from abstraction - which is already in dire straights. Now they are talking about building 5 reservoirs to supply the south east - but they'll take 20 years to build, and during that time the government wants 200,000 new houses a year.

Me I live outside MK - and thats supplied by Rutland Water, East Anglia is proposing to tap into the same supply for their new houses (450, 000 of them). Add to that the new houses will not have mandatory energy and water conservation built in.

Its a mad world.

 

Fran it is mental, why should we all knock ourselves out saving water when the government wastes water indirectly through their nonsence housing policy. As one of this countries major employers maybe if they decentralised more of government operations away from the south they would spread the housing demand more evenly accross the country. In my experience for every new 'executive' home built there is some plum watering their lawn! And flushing their six full cistern toilets. I just have to look over the fence at the 5 bedroom infill new build monsters that made some git lots of money at everyones elses expense. Some of the water/energy saving methods are so easy to incorporate in new builds that it is utter laziness that governments can't make them part of building regulations. Where is this water fiasco going to end ? :rolleyes: