hose pipe bans, drought orders

[DSGMATT]

Originally Posted by Luckypants

Jesus, what a load of uninformed drivel.

Tim obviously you are not banned from using a hosepipe, just from using one connected to the mains supply. Pumping out from your 'own supply' in the basement is specifically not covered!

It does not 'always rain' or else the rivers would not be as low as they are. Take your heads out your arses and look over a few bridge parapets, see the wide empty rocky thing below? That's meant to be full of water. We have a drought people, it has not rained the 'normal' amount all year.

As has been already alluded to, short bursts of heavy rain are no good for filling rivers and reservoirs, you need days and weeks of steady rain that soaks the ground and gives a constant supply to watercourses.

The northern half of England depends very much on reservoirs. Many of these are at less than 50% of their normal stocks for the time of year. Therefore steps are needed to reduce water consumption. It's that simple. Hosepipes are very wasteful, how many folks do you see washing the car and leaving the hose running, with expensive treated drinking water being poured down the drain or watering their lawns for hours on end? People are profligate with a scarce resource because it's just there in the tap.

And whoever said there has been no dam building since the 50s, stop talking ****!

And whoever said that the population has outstripped water resources built over the last century, stop talking ****!

A bit OTT fella and quite rude. Are members not allowed to debate and theorize over these current issues? Some of the comments made are actually quite close to the point and well informed from people who work for said agencies/ goverment. Most people are well aware that water conservation is very important to preserve the supplies we use and that the level of a reservoir directly impacts the domestic supplies. The points being made by more than one member, were not to make an escape goat of the goverment. I (Like many members) pay well over £1.4K a year for the privilege of clean drinking water and sewerage rates. Should we therefore be quiet and just accept the lack of planning/ poor investments in the infrastructure? I have not washed my car for 2 months (apart from the windscreen and lights) and we have smart flush loo's - limit the baths and showers to only necessary and collect rainwater for watering the plants - yet I am not on a water meter, just trying to do my part for the environment.

Just my 2 pence worth..

[Luckypants]

Of course debate away, I'm allowed my input as well. Just try to make it informed debate.

I can name at least half a dozen dams / reservoirs built since the 50s. I can name at least 3 of those that are not actually needed to support the population they were designed for, because the expected population rise have has not occurred. So those who say otherwise are talking ****.

Those who say 'it's always raining' are patently wrong, it has not rained the normal amount all year and weather folks have been saying as much for sometime. If you need proof of low rainfall, just look at the state of the rivers, lakes and reservoirs. People seem to expect a non-stop supply of water without a second thought to where it comes from or the infrastructure required to get it to their taps. This ranks along with not knowing milk comes from cows, pork is dead pig etc, it's part of the dislocation from production of the essentials needed for life.

I am impressed by your water conservation measures, but you must accept that you in a minority in that respect?

People in Scotland say 'its always raining' because it usually is . I've never experienced drought having lived in Scotland for 26 years. We always complain about the weather, and most take it for granted uninterested in the whole process of getting it to the taps, it rains and hey presto, we get water from our tap! Like many other consumables, there is a common ignorance of many. Must be a real pain in the ass to have bans on hose pipes etc. I'm always pretty careful with water and try not to waste any even although we have plenty, always mindful of those around the world less fortunate than myself.

[DSGMATT]

Originally Posted by Luckypants

Of course debate away, I'm allowed my input as well. Just try to make it informed debate.

I am impressed by your water conservation measures, but you must accept that you in a minority in that respect?

Ok - good reasoning and your obviously informed regards the information you have.

You are right - My household is in a minority regards the water conservation - One or more of my neighbours is out twice a day watering his plants and garden which is a considerable size - cancelling out my efforts.. I guess I fall in that catagory of typical middle class recycling (Even though I think washing the plastic uses more energy than it potentially saves). I work in an industry which is blamed greatly for the greenhouse effects and also the consumption of energy/ resources. Unfortunatley the majority of the resources that we have grown up with and ultimately expect are soon to be depleted for various reasons. This makes me wonder what legacy will be left for my son - but hopeful that his generation will be greater educated and take new steps to protect the environment and ultimately create new renewable resources from methods yet to be discovered. We can live in hope?

I didn't know there was a hose pipe ban. Is this ban all over the country?

Originally Posted by Scotsbikerchick

"I didn't know there was a hose pipe ban. Is the country wide?"



Roughly 300 miles at its widest! Sorry, couldn't resist

What?

[timwilky]

Preston yesterday when I started this thread



And Lostock Hall


Stig mate, read your post and you will realise she has answered your question "Is the country wide?" not what I think you think you typed "Is it country wide?", to which the answer is no. Just north West England

Ice caps are melting, we live on an island, yet we don't have enough water

In the rare times i wash my car, i never water my lawn btw ,i do my plants, why shouldnt i have the use of a hose pipe when i wanna?

My fooking water rates have doubled in the last 10 years or so, i only shower so dont use bath, im not on a water meter.

To be fair, we hardly ever get bans down here, but i wouldnt be too impressed if there was one.
There was a leak earlier in the year a few miles from me that was left for over a week without anything being dug up or anything.

Ofwat set the 'acceptable' leak levels way too high, there was a guy on bbc news last week defending his water company saying how they had met their leakage targets for 3 years running???
Acceptable was something stupid like so many million litres a DAY.

Originally Posted by timwilky

Stig mate, read your post and you will realise she has answered your question "Is the country wide?" not what I think you think you typed "Is it country wide?", to which the answer is no. Just north West England

Yup realised my mistake after the response I got.

Thanks for answering the question.