Hosepipe ban

The problem we now have with the leaks is because of management incompetence from many years ago.

In the rural areas, Forty years ago the water authorities had a repair and maintenance plan running alongside the installation of new sewer. The leakage problem was nowhere near s great then as it is now but they didn't factor that into their calculations as they thought they would be able to keep ahead of it with their maintenance programme.

Unfortunately, it was a matter of the 6P's (Proper Planning Prevents P*ss Poor Performance) because they were using the wrong funds. A lot of the rural areas had, and still have, no mains drainage. The fund that they were using to put in new drainage was also being used for maintenance. This programme was funded from the revenue raised from the sewage rates.

In 1977 a farmer challenged his local authority over taxing him for something he has never had. What used to happen is that the water and sewage rates were all classified as one entity and you just paid your water rates based on the rateable value of your property. The farmer contended, and won in court, that they couldn't charge him for sewage and rainwater removal when he wasn't connected to the system and the nearest sewage pipes were over 20 miles away.

This brought about a change in the law and water authorities can't charge you for sewage if you don't have any sewage pipes. It brought an instant halt to the installation of drainage to these areas, made an enormous hole in their budget and brought their maintenance programme to a crashing halt. They should, of course, had the maintenance and repair work funded from elsewhere but they had been getting away with it for so long that nobody foresaw the consequences.

They never really reinstated a proper maintenance plan and just floated along making good when forced to. In more recent years they thought that installing water meters would also reduce water usage significantly. It did so for only a brief period - another example of the 6P's.

So, if they had run a proper maintenance programme we wouldn't be in such dire straits now!

 

dim, if you come under Cambridge Water then you don't have a ban, yet. If you come under either Anglia Water or Veolia Central you do.

Scrungee, you are probably misunderstanding the 'definition' of a 'garden'. They have used the "includes" which doesn't mean it excludes anything not mentioned. They clearly intend it to cover all domestic gardens. You can use a hose to fill a pond if there are fish in it and you can use a hose to water plants, in pots, in a polytunnel but not in a greenhouse

 

It only works if you have some rain to fill the water butts

Scrungee,
you don't really expect them to make things clear, do you?

The other week I managed to find online the full 13 pages of the drought order. It goes into much greater detail. After I queried some of the anomalies in the order it seems to have disappeared from online . It's either that or I just can't find it again.

I had a nice conversation with them on the phone and they have since phoned me back 'clearing up' some points. You can use a hose to fill up a watering can if it's a 'short' hose - and has a 'water stop' on it. When pushed, they said a short hose would be no more than 2m. You can use a hose to fill a pond that has fish in it. Although the order states that you can use a hose to water pots that are 'under cover' it doesn't include watering pots in a greenhouse BUT you are allowed to water pots in a polytunnel!!!! They stated, categorically, that any use of a hosepipe in the garden, outside of these terms, apart from those referring to drip or trickle feed, (or if you are a blue badge holder) was prohibited. This prohibition includes seep or soak hoses. I then said that although I didn't have a blue badge I had a number of physical problems - which I explained. They said that an application for exemption, accompanied by a doctor's letter, can sometimes be looked upon favourably.

I also asked them whether they would be speeding up their repair of leaks. They were unable to comment