Hosepipe ban

I just wonder how much we will be paying for UK fruit and veg this year. Any excuse to rack up prices..... Our little town of Battle is proud of its public places and fine floral displays and it will be sad if we cannot water these items. We need to adopt a "desert" mentality really. Or an undeveloped 3rd world village discipline about this precious substance!!

 

I'm really sorry for you gardeners down in the south east, it looks like you'll have a very challenging job on your hands this spring and summer.
No shortage up here as we've had record levels of rain over the past year, but too much rain is certainly better than too little.
We're lucky in that we've got an ancient well in garden and if push ever comes to shove I'll open it up and install a pump.

I think I read something about thoughts of exporting Scottish water, but if Wee Eck has his way it'll cost you.

 

Initially, they will make sure you are better off on a water meter, and pray you tell everyone, Just how much cheaper it is
Then when everyone is on a water meter Ka Pow, up 10p this quarter, then 30p following quarter.
Until like Gas and Electrickery The cost is so great,You only bathe once a month wether you need it or not, grow cacti, and only drink Vino Collapso, have artificial teeth or alternatively dip your tooth brush in the loo before you flush,
Oh sorry you will not have a flushing toilet, too expensive, it will we a night soil box

They already have us reading books using energy saving bulbs, about ten lumicents darker than the gas lamps in Dikensian days

Jack McH

 

I really get angry with this .. you are complaining because you have / may have a hosepipe ban ... for watering your garden .. because that is what you are saying ... ie, no rain, no water butts full, no watering the plants ...

We here in Portugal have just had our driest February in history. Forget watering your plants ...

We had ten minutes of rain a couple of weeks ago ... ... that is six days of rain since May 2011. The current lack of rain is causing vast problems. Here in Algarve the citrus fruits are not developing properly and therefore the EU will not accept them as they are too small and the skin too thick, although the oranges are sweet and juicy. In Alentejo (the province above Algarve) the crops have failed so the farmers are suffering a great loss there and worse still, because of this the cattle have nothing to graze on. It is a large province with vast proportions of land (like Spain) and the cattle are suffering so it's a double whammy for them! I am sure the regions further up which are wine-producing regions will also be suffering. Most folk out of the towns/cities grow their own food / rear their own animals.

Farmers can not only not bathe but they cannot grow their own food or feed their animals.

THINK ... what you are complaining about ... please ...

 

Back in 1976 in Essex we were on a total ban, no watering cans either, we washed the car and watered the plants from time to time with our washing up or bath water. There were various areas put on standpipes as well.

 

Victoria, hello.
As you know its very different here.
Firstly this is a gardening forum mostly made up of people from the UK.

Its probably even worse drought wise, in Ethiopia, than in Portugal.

 

I took this for another site interesting stuff


Thames Water
Customer Relations
Customer Services
P.O. Box 436
Swindon
SN38 1TU

Telephone: 08457 200897
Fax: 01793 424291
E-mail: [email protected]

10 May 2006
Our Ref: 320428
Hosepipe Ban and Allotments
Dear Mr *******
Thank you for your e-mail of 27 April 2006.
I am sorry to hear that there are those who find the conditions of the ban confusing, I hope to help clarify your concerns in my reply. ;Your comments regarding our website will forwarded to our Communications Team for their consideration.
The hosepipe ban does not refer to 'Domestic Properties' it refers to private gardens and private vehicles, we take the term private to mean, a property to which the public do not have access to.
We accept that allotments are not directly referred to in the ban. However, allotments are, in our view, private and hence are included in the hosepipe ban therefore, allotment holders are subject to the same watering restrictions as apply to private gardens, and hosepipes and sprinklers may not be used for watering as access to the general public is not permitted.
We do recognise that there is a range of interpretations across both other water companies and other stakeholders. We also recognise that the law is not specific, but we are of the view that saving water is the primary goal and allotment holders will be generally understanding of this.
Further to your question regarding the filling of containers with a short length of hose, there is no legal definition of a short length of hose. I accept that using a length of hose to fill a water butt by an allotment, will result in less water being used than filling several buckets due to spillages as the water is carried to and from the allotment.
Therefore, I can confirm that it is permissible to use a length of hose to fill a water butt / container by an allotment. However, it is not permitted to use this hose to water the allotment. We would also encourage the fitting of trigger devices to hosepipes that would stop the flow water when the hose is released, so that water is not wasted when the allotment holder walks back to the tap.
The hosepipe ban was introduced using powers found in Section 76 of The Water Industry Act 1991.
The following is a link that will take you to the relevant Government website.
Water Industry Act 1991
We have no objection you including a link on your website to our 'Drought Page' on our website.
Thank you for taking the time to write to us.
Yours sincerely
Gareth Drinkwater
Customer Relations

 

Sorry, Pete, I sometimes speak out of turn/context at times because I am not there now and look at things from a different aspect ... hence me not posting much any more ... and perhaps I will post even less now.

 

Silly question but, how is this enforced, will i actually get put in Prison/ shot by firing squad if i am found to be holding a hose pipe?

 

Its OK victoria, its just that a drought here is obviously very different from a drought in warmer climates.
We have a higher population per square mile and used to much more water than people from places with dryer climates.

Its all relative to what is normal rather than the extreme.

 

You would have been in '76 - well, not literally, but the drought was severe and people were asked to save water, bans were put in place, and it was pretty selfish of anyone to arrogantly carry on as normal ... plenty of places had standpipes as a result. So you can expect that your neighbours will think you are being selfish and tell the authorities, there will be aerial surveys and your lawn being the only green one for miles around will raise eyebrows. And so on ...

I wash my car once in a blue moon - is there a good reason to do so more often? (I mean: is there any issue with everyone not washing their cars during this Summer?). I can't think of a reason, hence the question

 

I live on the West Coast of Scotland - we have had only about 10 days without rain since beginning of January so I do not think we have any fear of a hosepipe ban. Walking on grassed areas in our garden causes muddy footprints. I wonder just how much more water the ground can take.Maybe the country should be covered in a massive water grid taking supplies from Scotland if necessary. It would be very expensive but not impossible . Or it could be moved around the coastline by tanker. Water is a precious commodity and there is going to come a point where the UK goverment must look at a plan for the long term

 

Usually a substantial fine,
The water board know and can detect water usage, they can even detect someone with a dripping tap, Even when they can not repair their own burst pipes

We have a few Artesian wells along the next village, people come with food safe containers to take away water for wine and beer making etc, I do not know if this will be policed though as it is removing water that returns to the water table

Having said that, in FIFE we do not have the problem, our problem is the opposite, too much water

Jack McHammocklashing

 

Careful Jack - I was told it's sacreligious for a Scotsman to mention water in the prescence of the Mother liquor. And a Scotsman is never more than a few paces from a good Single Malt.

 

I got a quote last year it came in at £4600 for a borehole lined with a pump
Ouch