So, this hosepipe ban.

[janeyo]

I wouldn't mind so much about a hosepipe ban (not here yet though) if we didn't live on an ISLAND where water shortages were forcast years and years ago and still there have been no efforts to build any desalination units. And nothing has ever been done to fix leaking water board pipes which waste thosands and thousands of litres a year.

[lindyloo]

me too janeyo! also always wonder whether hosepipe bans are just directed at gardeners, or whether it includes banning the hosing down of lorries and tankers?

[Two_Sheds]

there have been no efforts to build any desalination units.

There have. The first one opened last month.
Apparently desalination plants use a heck of a lot of energy.

This surprised me: "London isn't as rainy as you might think - it gets about half as much rain as Sydney, and less than Dallas or Istanbul"

[Alison]

I wouldn't mind so much about a hosepipe ban (not here yet though) if we didn't live on an ISLAND where water shortages were forcast years and years ago and still there have been no efforts to build any desalination units. And nothing has ever been done to fix leaking water board pipes which waste thosands and thousands of litres a year.

We need to look at things though. This is the first hosepipe ban we've had in the NW since the mid 90s ie 15 years. I don't acutally think that's bad. I know there are other areas where they've had them more recently but it's only us that has the ban at the moment to my knowledge. Building a desalination plant for us to use once every 15 years would have a considerable impact on our water rates (or whatever they're called these days) and I really don't want to go there. I don't think we're exactly at crises level cos I can't use a hosepipe, I can still have as much drinking water as I need unlike large proportions of the world.

Re the leaking pipes, actually a lot has been done over the past 15 years, I have colleagues working on huge reburb projects to reline / renovate major trunk mains etc but this takes a long time and is expensive. Considering the state of the infrastructure 20 years ago when it was all privatised it's in pretty good nick. Yes more needs to be done and the needs of share holders are often given too much priority but things aren't that bad.

[weekendwellies]

I'm sure that if leaking pipes are repaired there will be streams and becks that then dry up killing many rare species.

Maybe where you live, hun, but here it goes directly into the sewers and away to the sea! What a waste

Re the leaking pipes, actually a lot has been done over the past 15 years, I have colleagues working on huge reburb projects to reline / renovate major trunk mains etc but this takes a long time and is expensive. Considering the state of the infrastructure 20 years ago when it was all privatised it's in pretty good nick. Yes more needs to be done and the needs of share holders are often given too much priority but things aren't that bad.

It made me really, really angry that the senior management of UU got bonuses, surely this money would have been better spent employing more of the staff that actually do the repair work so that it moves along quicker. Everything could be done quicker if they actually cared about the issue, but I get the impression that they don't.

It also makes me angry that I cant use the hose to water my veg, but people can still use their washing machines and their dishwashers as many times a day as they want and have as many baths as they want.
Obviously these are things that cannot in any way be policed and it is the easiest way to stop hose-pipes, not necessarily the most effective.

[OverWyreGrower]

Can I just say that since the ban came into force, it has done nothing but absolutely widdle it down here....

[weekendwellies]

Can I just say that since the ban came into force, it has done nothing but absolutely widdle it down here....

Well I am glad my raindance is beneficial to someone

[Two_Sheds]

It also makes me angry that I cant use the hose to water my veg, but people can still use their washing machines and their dishwashers

The hosepipe uses much more water than a wash machine or a dishwasher: about 20 times as much according to this site:

[weekendwellies]

The hosepipe uses much more water than a wash machine or a dishwasher: about 20 times as much according to this site:

Hmm! I used my watering can on Thursday to see how much I would be using, I watered the things that I would normally water - seeds just sown, seedlings planted out and a couple of rows of other odds and sods.
Watering can = 10 litres
4 Cans used = 40 litres total

Half as much as a bath, 2/3rds a wash in the washing machine.

I don't water everyday, either.

[Two_Sheds]

You're showing how it could (should) be done, WW. You don't need to have the hosepipe running every night to have a productive & beautiful garden.

[Mrs Dobby]

Agreed, you dont have to water everything every day, but with the lack of any significant rain hereabouts for soo long now, some of our plants are struggling, so its these that need attention! Our own plans are to water the whole plot on a rota basis, doing 1 full run of beds a day (plus anything thats vulnerable such as seedlings and greenhouses), which should mean the whole plot will be watered once a week. Took 2 of us with 2 watering cans eac an hour and a half lasy night to water 1 run plus seedlings and greenhouses, methinks its going to be a lot of time each week to keep on top of, but worth doing!

[Glutton4...]

Stooopid question; how do you find out if you have a hose-pipe ban in your area?

[Mrs Dobby]

Check your local water suppliers website! Atm I think its just United Utilities in the North West of England that have a ban in force, but I could be wrong!

[Glutton4...]

Thanks Mrs. D! Will go lookie...

Anglian Water has not had a hosepipe ban since 1991!!!! Good-o!

If they do decide to, I'll just moan at them for all the water they're wasting with the burst pipes in this area! Lazy g*ts.

[selfraising]

Stooopid question; how do you find out if you have a hose-pipe ban in your area?

Not stoopid at all. I tend to check on the Environment Agency site. If you are not mentioned, you don't have one
Environment Agency - Current water status