Water Shortages

[McLean]

Is it just me, or is the world going mad?

Why is my local water company banning me from using a hosepipe to wash my car but allowing me use the local auto car wash instead?

I'd guess my quick hosedown beforehand, followed by washing it from a bucket of warm water, plus a rinsedown afterwards would take maybe 10 gals? Compare that to a car wash using maybe 50 gals and the hosepipe ban has got to be a nonsense.

If the idea is to cut water consumption, auto car washes should be suspended too surely?

Or maybe I should just sign up as the latest member of Wogan's TOGs

[lelandv]

The other nonsensical side to this is that you can use your high-power jetwash machine on the end of your hosepipe to wash your driveway, walls, brickwork, etc., but if you happen to "accidentally" wash your car which is sitting on the driveway at the time, you've contravened the hosepipe ban... go figure.

L.

[Wosket]

wow! a hosepipe ban already? and with all the rain we've had recently - what's going on?! to be honest i've never taken any notice of these bans, if the car needs a wash it gets washed hosepipe ban or not.

[Lexmas]

Water shortages are actually quite a serious issue in the South, especially for Kent. If people do not observe the bans, it is quite likely that those in the South will be put on standpipes this Summer.

We have had very little rain recently, one week of drizzle will not supply 20 million people with water for 3 months. Per capita, the south of England is one of the driest places in Europe, more arid in fact than many parts of Spain.

That's not to say that some of the hosepipe ban provisions are a little nonsensical!

[deejaygee]

Water shortages are actually quite a serious issue in the South, especially for Kent. If people do not observe the bans, it is quite likely that those in the South will be put on standpipes this Summer.

We have had very little rain recently, one week of drizzle will not supply 20 million people with water for 3 months. Per capita, the south of England is one of the driest places in Europe, more arid in fact than many parts of Spain.

That's not to say that some of the hosepipe ban provisions are a little nonsensical!

But did you actually know that the Water Companies collect something stupid like 5% of the Rainfall, and they actually waste more than what is used - doesn't give you much confidence does it!

And the scary thing is the Hosepipe Ban is so inconsistant - I can't use the hosepipe to clean my car but I can to clean a motorcycle or bicycle.

Likewise I can't use the hosepipe to water my grass or flowers but can use it it clean my drive & patio.

:duh:

[Kremmen]

And to think that we are an island surrounded by the stuff !

I would be quite prepared to pay a little more in my water rates to subsidise a desalination plant to ensure that more water is available in the South East.

[Lexmas]

I agree that the stipulations of the Hosepipe Ban are rather inconsistent.

I don't really see how water companies can collect any more rain -

It's true that there may be a lot of wastage through leaks etc that should be sorted, but I don't reckon desalination is the answer. Fix the leaks!!!

[terdancam]

i`m looking across the rooflines of all the new housing estates in milton keynes--vast expanses of featureless grey and red tiles; and i really mean vast.

Not one of them has a solar panel to "assist" the water heating, not one has a rain diverter to maximise efficeincy of rain water run off, not one has a micro turbine to "assist" with power.

Now all thses houses are getting crammed with pcs, plasma screens, fone chargers, electric eyebrow pluckers, rechargeable remote control reachers, ad infinitum ad nauseum and we`re now net importers of fuel from mad regimes.

Unfortunately we don`t have a long term executive oversight commitee in charge of this stuff that needs long term planning.

Just think, if you were in government with the possibility of being voted out every 4 years, why would you bother with planning for stuff 20 yrs hence. Surely you would be in it for yourself? And before you say some politicos are not like that, thats fair enough--its just the vested interest parties are more numerous, have greater resources, shout louder.

Now ask yourself this, if you were CEO of Anglian water (or whatever) and had the choice of building more reservoirs, desalination plants etc to accomodate the huge population density in the south east, where there is little room to build capacity anythinh, or you could just tell your customers there was a two week ban on hosepipes, which would you go for, bearing in mind your responsibility to shareholders? :duh: :D

Unfortunately in this country, we are very very very non-militant. Remeber the polltax riots? How many years ago was that? And how much do your council tax charges compare to those days and the days of rates? What is it, something like an 84% rise over 5 years--so where are the riots now?

Your water company, gas supplier, bbc licence dept, BPI, government, car retailer, (you name it, the rip off list in Britain is huge) are going to p1ss all over you because they know that you aren`t going to do diddly squat about it!

Get used to hosepipe bans, we are all just little people................ :o :o :o

rant over

[Snork2004]

Is it just me, or is the world going mad?

Why is my local water company banning me from using a hosepipe to wash my car but allowing me use the local auto car wash instead?

I'd guess my quick hosedown beforehand, followed by washing it from a bucket of warm water, plus a rinsedown afterwards would take maybe 10 gals? Compare that to a car wash using maybe 50 gals and the hosepipe ban has got to be a nonsense.

If the idea is to cut water consumption, auto car washes should be suspended too surely?

Or maybe I should just sign up as the latest member of Wogan's TOGs

Go North Young Man. We're having a water party this weekend. Everyone brings round a hosepipe, and just switches it on for the hell of it.

and you get a free whippet to take home afterwards.

Enjoy the sunshine.

[Lexmas]

i`m looking across the rooflines of all the new housing estates in milton keynes--vast expanses of featureless grey and red tiles; and i really mean vast.

Not one of them has a solar panel to "assist" the water heating, not one has a rain diverter to maximise efficeincy of rain water run off, not one has a micro turbine to "assist" with power.

Now all thses houses are getting crammed with pcs, plasma screens, fone chargers, electric eyebrow pluckers, rechargeable remote control reachers, ad infinitum ad nauseum and we`re now net importers of fuel from mad regimes.

Unfortunately we don`t have a long term executive oversight commitee in charge of this stuff that needs long term planning.

Just think, if you were in government with the possibility of being voted out every 4 years, why would you bother with planning for stuff 20 yrs hence. Surely you would be in it for yourself? And before you say some politicos are not like that, thats fair enough--its just the vested interest parties are more numerous, have greater resources, shout louder.

Now ask yourself this, if you were CEO of Anglian water (or whatever) and had the choice of building more reservoirs, desalination plants etc to accomodate the huge population density in the south east, where there is little room to build capacity anythinh, or you could just tell your customers there was a two week ban on hosepipes, which would you go for, bearing in mind your responsibility to shareholders? :duh: :D

Unfortunately in this country, we are very very very non-militant. Remeber the polltax riots? How many years ago was that? And how much do your council tax charges compare to those days and the days of rates? What is it, something like an 84% rise over 5 years--so where are the riots now?

Your water company, gas supplier, bbc licence dept, BPI, government, car retailer, (you name it, the rip off list in Britain is huge) are going to p1ss all over you because they know that you aren`t going to do diddly squat about it!

Get used to hosepipe bans, we are all just little people................ :o :o :o

rant over

I wonder which politician's department is responsible for planning? Could it be John Prescott I wonder. Some say that he is the thickest and most stupid man in a position of power in Britain, others that he is a total moron who couldn't tie his shoe laces without some help.

It wouldn't suprise me if there was a long term strategic committee for water saving (there are several actually), but perhaps the department for the environment is being blocked by Prescott's department.

Just a thought...

I agree that water companies need to do more to maximise the water they have available i.e. spend more stopping leaks. However, they can't do anything about the new homes requiring more water, or the lack of rain in the South East.

[TURNER]

As i work for a company that has dealing with the water industry in kent they are trying hard to stop as many leaks as possible but red tape due to different councils stoping them digging up roads etc but once they give the go ahead start fineing the water companys money for not conforming to silly clauses so why do they bother

Also did you know that certain water companys export through the channel tunnel our water to france because they have less water than us but charge us for doing this all because the french have stakes or own a large portion of our water industry

Andy

[Wosket]

Is it just me, or is the world going mad?

Why is my local water company banning me from using a hosepipe to wash my car but allowing me use the local auto car wash instead?

I'd guess my quick hosedown beforehand, followed by washing it from a bucket of warm water, plus a rinsedown afterwards would take maybe 10 gals? Compare that to a car wash using maybe 50 gals and the hosepipe ban has got to be a nonsense.

If the idea is to cut water consumption, auto car washes should be suspended too surely?

Or maybe I should just sign up as the latest member of Wogan's TOGs

Go North Young Man. We're having a water party this weekend. Everyone brings round a hosepipe, and just switches it on for the hell of it.

and you get a free whippet to take home afterwards.

Enjoy the sunshine.

excellent post!