Laws regarding garden/lawn watering

Hi

What are the laws regarding watering a garden, I know there is sometimes a hose pipe ban, but for a medium sized garden say 3-4m x 3-4m sq is there any known issues? Is using a watering can fine?

On the thames valley water website they are advising not to use a sprinkler without a water meter, but my garden is much too small for any non-interactive watering.

Many Thanks.

 

they tell you that so they can screw you with higher water bills...only reason

 

I don't think its unreasonable to ask people to pay for what they use. Generally speaking people normally waste anything thats 'free' and look after what they pay for. If you live on your own, don't wash the car using the hose pipe or water the garden, you may well be better off on a meter anyway.

 

"you may well be better off on a meter anyway"

I would think you would definitely be better off! Otherwise it would make even more mockery of the whole water-rate thing

 

We are a family of five-one teen-one almost teen they are both constantly showering ( twice a day), the little 6yr old baths only as often as I force her to lol. I have the washing machine on almost constantly. Would I be better off changing to a meter? You can't change back once you are on one either-just a bit concerned about when the prices go up-which I don't doubt they will.

 

I'll see if they have that sort of service. I imagine I will be much better off when they have gone but for now I have to be careful

 

Although I do agree that most people are perhaps a bit wasteful (though I suspect not intentionally), I think that when the water companies take some of their huge profits and spend them on repairs to leaky mains pipes, and find a way to ensure we no longer have summer droughts (shouldn't be difficult in an island nation that gets abundant rainfall), then I think they'd have a right to complain about us 'wasting' water. Maybe they could use some of their profits to offer small grants or subsidies to their customers so that they could afford to fit water butts to their drain pipes, or provide some sort of educational guides for making gardens need less water in the first place.

 

Oh not the water issue,:skp:

I've come across a few people that have gone on to meters and wish they hadn't.

One is a pensioner of nearly 90 who had a new toilet installed by the council.
No one told her that the overflow now drains into the bowl.

Her bill was astronomic as the new toilet was overflowing into the bowl for about three months before she noticed.

She is still paying it off now in instalments 12 months later.

Others find they cant water their gardens any more, its far too expensive.

Its not that we dont have enough water, its more that we have too many people.

Until that concept is taken on board by the hierarchy there will be problems.

No way will I have a meter fixed until I have to, once we all have meters the sky is the limit.

 

i'll happily pay the water rates and stuff the meter..use what i want without worrying about it

 

I completely agree with you CL. If these water company's arn't going to invest some of the massive profits they've taken from people they should be hit with one off tax's from the government.

 

And will that help the situation?

Taxes and fines all go to the government, it is of no help to the consumer, who eventually ends up paying more for just that reason.

 

Unfortunately I believe that's true. A better way would be for the government to step in and force utility companies to provide a decent service and invest a significant chunk of their profits back into their infrastructure.

The trouble is, when a company is floated on the stock market, as I believe the water companies are, their primary obligation of duty stops being to their customer. By law the company directors have to act in the best interests of the shareholders. This means that profit has to go before service. Its a funny world we live in when established business practices don't just suggest but actually require companies to rob the ordinary folks as much as possible, but unfortunately that's the way it is.

 

I take your point, but I believe on balance it would. Its only my opinion, but after the election the tax 'we' pay will go through the roof and drastic cuts will be made in services. Any tax on the greedy utilities now would help the situation for everyone. It may also stop these companies over charging in the future. I'm not against them making a profit, I just don't believe they should be allowed to make a massive profit at a time when a large section of the population are struggling.