February fill-dike? Not in the south it ain't - Drought Warning !!

Its not the cost.. We cannot live without water. - The stuff is here but geographically in the wrong places.

We move food all over the Globe without a second thought...!!

a-a

 

Here are a couple of photos showing the drought problem we have here in the East Midlands.I am already getting started with conserving even more water ie not staying too long in the shower and chucking the grey water on the borders even though they are damp after the snow melt but I haven't got anywhere to store all this water ready for when the summer comes but don't really want to tip it down the drains....

The level in the first photo should be up to where the trees are at the top of the photo on the left and all those wooden posts are usually under water....

All the greenery in the photo should be under water as should the small bridge you can see...


These boats have a bit of a way to go before they get to the water for launching...

 

I think a national grid for water is a great idea.
Trouble is its not been something that governments have really had to bother about, it always rains in the end.

Until some parts of the country gets a sustained drought, and I use the word with some reservations, we will not get any action.

Of course the cost of water would rise considerably.

 

flippin heck! ... no wonder no-one bothers

when I had my borehole sorted, I filled in a form, paid R200 (£20) .... they stamped it, gave it to me and told me to come back with a test certificate

hired an old guy who guaranteed that if he did not find water, I would not have to pay .... he popped around, had a forked stick ... went into a trance and added some pegs all in the same area

a few days later, he came with his rig, and drilled .... after 36 meters down, he struck water .... went down to 45 meters and struck more water (there were 2 streams on different levels crisscrossing)... then went down a few more meters to create a sump

he added borehole casing (a galvanised pipe) down to 25 meters (the ground was sturdy after 25meters deep) ....

he tested the quantity of water (the estimate was 3640 gallons per hour) ... gave me a certificate ... I paid him, shook his hand and he went

took the paperwork to the council, paid another R200 (£20) ... they stamped it and that was that

hired another guy to install the pump and erect the water resevoir tower and supply the tank ... and job done

total cost was R4200 (approx £420 in todays money) ... but that was 22 years ago and was still pretty cheap

never had to fill in any additional forms or have any additional inspections ...

had the water tested at a lab, and it was safe for human consumption .... never drank the water, and only used it to water the garden, but some neighbours who had been there much longer, actually had the borehole water connected to their house and drank it (these were smallholdings ...5-10 acre plots)

 

This county is a huge crop growing area and is one of the driest. You would think Anglian Water would be prepared for a dry period but no!!!!! Grrrrrr. I did hear that they actually closed a reservoir quite recently. It also has one of the worst records for water leakages and wastage.

Anglian Water is making quite a nice annual profit which has increased since they were bought out by I think Australian and Canadian venture capitalist firms :(

I'm not impressed.

 

In the UK you can not even fit an outside water tap, from internal supply Unless permission granted and work carried out by a Professional Plumber, who has to fit and certify non-return valves fitted, so the old fit you a tap on your outside wall for a tenner is now £125

Living in Gibraltar for a few years, water was scarce in the summer (no conection with Spain in those days) All water was collected by rainfall, on the casements (the big white concreted side of the penisula) into underground resevoirs
Being forces we had the luxury of POTABLE water sent out from Kielder forrest damn, curtesy of Maiden voyage VLCC (Very Large Crude Carriers) built locally on the Tyne
The locals had to do without until the rains came again (though I used to give my neigbours a couple of gallons of potable a day, wow betide me if caught)

The UK in the 50's had a population of about 52m people, no cars to wash and flushing toilets were a luxury, we had a bog down the garden or Ash closet to be posh
Baths were taken on Sundays each week wether needed or not

Now the population is around 67m, most families have two cars washed weekly, everyone showers twice a day. flush two gallons away at every visit to the loo,
In the 76 drought we were all advised to put two bricks in the toilet systern , and also to share a bath with a friend :-)this reduced the water wastage
(Maybe that is how there are 66m people now :-)

Meanwhile I am up here drowning in the stuff, and frozen to death

Jack McH

 

'Meanwhile I am up here drowning in the stuff'

I'll agree with that Jack, and we've been drowning here for the last three years.

Absolutely no need for water butts!

 

The drought warning doesn't surprise me. My garden and allotment was like a dust bowl last year, and the winter has been no more than averagely wet, not even that, so we will not have made up last year's shortfall.

At home I save grey water which helps a bit. Not very hygienic, though. I use fresh for delicate seedlings and young plants.

The allotment is a disaster area, it has no water supply, we save it in baths which have barely refilled over the winter.

So some advice on crops/plants to grow which might tolerate low water would be good.

 

So who stops you from buying the stuff from screwfix and fitting it yourself?

I'd not heard of this, it seems you need non return valves on dishwashers and washing machines also.
Are we expected to employ an overpaid plumber to install these as well?

Some kind of government job creation scheme perhaps.

I think DIY carpentry should be banned,.....:D its dangerous.:D

 

Might be Scottish law? I do not really know, just plumber usual speak intake of breath through teeth guv
I know I could do it myself, in under an hour including hole in wall, then just the cost of the tap and valves Re plumbed old parents house from lead to copper, no problem and I prefer soldered to compression joints

Just once you are aware of RULES you become to feel too guilty to go ahead
:-)

Cheers Jack McH

 

I think it's the new regulations that have been brought in recently, the same goes for electrics. I think now if you do DIY plumbing and electrics you have to have it 'officially stamped' by the appropriate people.