Hosepipe ban

Birker2020

Birker2020

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There is a hosepipe ban in Kent and East Sussex starting on 12th August.

I wonder whether with the current weather conditions this will cascade across the country before long?
 
I’ve just driven past a neighbour cleaning his car with a hosepipe. So wasteful, we’ve had no more than a few spots of rain today and nothing meaningful in terms of puddles for a week and they disappeared in an hour. It’s going to take more than a winter of rainfall to refill the reservoirs and rivers again.
 
There is no shortage of water in the North.

There have been photos of northern reservoirs which are empty. These are almost always photos of the highest in a chain of linked reservoirs, where they keep the lower ones full to reduce surface area and limit surface water evaporation. Levels are pretty much normal for the time of year.

The big problem in the South East is that people fought so hard to prevent the building of a big new reservoir which is badly needed to service all the new housing and the increased population. This has been being fought over for decades.

https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/oxf...or-giant-reservoir-plan-to-be-scrapped-again/
 
I'm in Somerset and yesterday car washes were still operating (disclaimer:. I don't use them, I wait for rain, go out with bucket of car shampoo, wash car and let rain rinse it off - I'm far too mean ?), but surely they are not at all necessary.

I feel justified in watering my Tom's, lettuce and beans but nothing else.
 
Goldenstar said:
Easy for you to say , as you clear don’t run a car wash .
There’s is not reason for this country with the exception of the south east to be short of water . The water companies let millions of gallons day run away through badly maintained infrastructure.
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Always someone else’s fault ?
 
Goldenstar said:
Yeh , and it’s always ok to laid back when someone else’s livelihood gets closed down
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Do you really believe that with the climate changing and the population going up that what we should be concerned about is people who own car washing companies or do you think the problem might just be a bit bigger than that ? Times change, businesses come and go but we all might not if we don’t take measures to alter our lifestyles. Having a clean car is a low priority in my view.
 
Lots of comments locally about the amount of water wasted through leaks. There’s also lots of “I’ll do as I’m told when the water companies stop polluting our water”. Only last week they let (allegedly) treated waste out on beaches which are tourist areas. They usually blame it on heavy rainfall, but can’t use that excluse this time.

There’s just too many people down here in the South :(
 
meleeka said:
Lots of comments locally about the amount of water wasted through leaks. There’s also lots of “I’ll do as I’m told when the water companies stop polluting our water”. Only last week they let (allegedly) treated waste out on beaches which are tourist areas. They usually blame it on heavy rainfall, but can’t use that excluse this time.

There’s just too many people down here in the South :(
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There is extreme pressure caused by population density in the SE and it’s caused by out of date last century or the century before systems for collecting and storing water ,you can argue in some areas the cost of repairing mains leaks is disproportionate because the areas are well supplied with water .In the SE however this is not so it’s been clear to anyone with half a brain that if you keep adding population in a dry area you need to increase capacity .
If places like Istanbul can keep the water on( although spectacular mains leaks where a feature of life when I lived there ) there’s no excuse except short term thinking and laziness.
It’s going to get hotter the SE in particular is going to need more water and the water companies need to get going .
They can start by stopping mains leaks .
 
meleeka said:
There’s just too many people down here in the South
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That's what I've been saying for the past forty years. Too many people for the available resources.

Car wash facilities can capture the run-off water, filter it and use it again; they don't need to use drinkable water for that.
 
People tend to notice the leaks in dry weather . Why? Because dry weather causes leaks. Ground shrinks and contracts busting pipe , then the water companies have to boost the pressure to maintain flow and prevent back flow of contamination into the system ,so more leaks.
Meanwhile on the home front, Bob and his herd haven't helped . This trough aint filling fast enough says Bob! A couple of burly henchhorses toss the trough across the field and leave the feed pipe as a drinking fountain. This is soon followed by similar action amongst the mare,s herd! . Would love to post the photos but cant.
 
bonny said:
Do you really believe that with the climate changing and the population going up that what we should be concerned about is people who own car washing companies or do you think the problem might just be a bit bigger than that ? Times change, businesses come and go but we all might not if we don’t take measures to alter our lifestyles. Having a clean car is a low priority in my view.
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Yes we always need to worry about people losing there livelihoods.
 
Of course it is and that is why mains leaks are a more complicated thing than the headline figure,a leak in Hampshire is clearly more serious than a leak in Northumberland ( where it’s pouring btw ).
However ,that water pouring away where ever it is has been treated and energy and that energy is wasted when it leaks away before use .
 
We have been waiting for weeks for a leak from the meter to be stopped. And that is after they had one go back in the spring.
 
No hosepipe ban here in Wales (and luckily we have a stream that we use for the garden. )

But until the water companies actually fix the millions of tons of water leaking every year I’m afraid I’d be sticking two fingers up at them and using my water in any way I see fit.
 
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