Hose pipe Ban

[cardiffsteve]

Yep you heard it here

Seven firms say they will impose water restrictions after two unusually dry winters left reservoirs, aquifers and rivers below normal levels.


Southern Water, South East Water, Thames Water, Anglian Water, Sutton and East Surrey, Veolia Central and Veolia South East are to enforce restrictions.


All seven companies said they will impose bans from 5 April.


BBC News - Hosepipe ban to be imposed in drought-hit parts of UK

Welsh water have said they cant afford to pump the water across the border.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17343140

[dogsbody]

"Act" and "get it together" seem to come to mind here......

[Matt94]

it amazes me how we are surrounded by water, yet we still have hose-pipe bans!

[rustylady]

And if you look at the map on the link Suffolk is not affected. Our water is supplied by Essex & Suffolk water co, but the drains are managed by Anglia Water. Work that one out

[chris]

I just don't know why we don't have backup desalination plants, (partly) powered by renewable energy (tidal, wind, and perhaps even solar).

I used to live abroad, and most of the fresh water there was from the sea... That place wasn't even an island!

[super trowel]

Don't know if I am being thick or something?!?
But why can't they use sea water?

[WendyC]

Desalination of sea water is an expensive process I'm told by my A level environmental science student son. I guess it uses a lot of fuel to heat and and pump the sea water. Not sure of the actual process.

[super trowel]

Oh?
But still

[cardiffsteve]

Right I'm starting the bidding at 50p a litre for water

[Alison]

Desalination plants are very expensive to both construct and run and environmentally not the greenest of technologies either. Waste of water needs to be sorted before we start thinking about building whole-scale new plants and that needs to be addressed by householders, businesses and the water companies. Oh and it's not helped by the excessive new built of housing that went on until fairly recently which dramatically increased the demand for water. Ideally we'd use much less potable water, I mean, water fit for drinking really doesn't need to be used for flushing the loo but our infrastructure isn't set up to have separate systems for this. Real shame and something which should be looked at for all new developments really. Would help loads.

[Two_Sheds]

But why can't they use sea water?

Expensive to build, huge expense in fuel to run, fossil fuel emissions, damage to marine environment, increased salinity of remaining seawater ...

desalination in Bahrain, where they use 3x the water of us in the UK, per head

The ecological argument

A Californian perspective to desalination

[Two_Sheds]

I just don't know why we don't have backup desalination plants

We do. Thames Water opened one last year, and Southern Water has said it will look at building one near Brighton

They won't be producing cheap water for everyone: they will be making (even more) money, hand over fist as the big companies control how much water we get and how we're allowed to use it

[lottie dolly]

Right I'm starting the bidding at 50p a litre for water

STEVEN shhhhhhhhh,the powers that B have enough to think about,don't give em yet more ideas lol

[veggiechicken]

they will be making (even more) money, hand over fist as the big companies control how much water we get and how we're allowed to use it

Welsh Water (Dwr Cymru) is a not for profit organisation with no shareholders. We sometimes get rebates on our water bills - not a lot but every little helps (said the old lady as she p.....d in the river).

[veggiechicken]

STEVEN shhhhhhhhh,the powers that B have enough to think about,don't give em yet more ideas lol

LottieD, that's Steve's cunning plan for earning himself a fortune. Next thing he'll be offering is a very long hose from his house into England!