BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink

Subject: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: MikeL2
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 09:24 AM

hi

Today we start a hose-pipe ban. No one is now allowed to use a hose pipe to water gardens, wash cars etc.

This might not be a surprise if we lived in Southern Europe or drought affected areas of the world.

No no. We live in the North West of England !!! This is the wettest place in the country and it is here that we have the Pennines and The Lake District where it is almost notorious for rain.

The officials say that we have had a dry winter. Maybe that could be so....but this is the area not six months ago was severely flooded followed by the heaviest snow that many of us can remember.

We have complained for years that the cachement of water is poor as once the reservoirs fill the water just runs away to the sea.

At the moment we are the only area in England to be affected - how can that make sense ?????

Places that get only a fraction of the rain we get just don't have the problems we have. For instance I have lived in Spain and the rainfall was meagre compared to here in England.

We lived in a town about two miles from the city and the footpaths all the way in are planted with trees and flowers. They installed an automatic watering system some years back and every day at early dawn and late evening the areas are watered. All the residents freely water lawns and plants etc etc.

What are we doing wrong......or not doing at all??

It's water water everywhere and not a drop to drink.....for plants anyway.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: gnu
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 09:29 AM

None for the fruit and veggies? Sounds ridiculous to me.

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 09:37 AM

You can carry water in a bucket or watering can, gnu.

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 09:37 AM

Oh, and farmers are exempt.

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: Will Fly
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 09:37 AM

The water companies favour investors over investment. Pay dividends to shareholders rather than invest in a better infrastructure.

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: maeve
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 09:51 AM

Carrying water in a bucket or can is not always physically possible, especially with back issues or a large plot of garden space. It's wearing me out fast, with 3 vegetable gardens, 40+ potted fruit trees, 30+ fruit trees in orchards, lots of potted perennials, and many ornamental gardens.

Best wishes, MikeL2.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: Les from Hull
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 10:18 AM

I think it was that nice Mrs Thatcher who privatised the country's water supply. It's great that somebody's making a profit out of all this.

The City of Kingson upon Hull bought up large amounts of land to make sure that its citizens had a good water supply well into the future. This was later transferred to the larger water authorities and later privatised by Thatcher and her cronies. The people of Hull never got anything for this. Still I'm sure that will all change now we've got the Tories back!

Anyway it's 'water water everywhere, nor any drop to drink'

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: MikeL2
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 11:39 AM

Hi Les

You are right of course - profit today and don't worry about tomorrow. That was the Thatcher theme....

The cost of water has multiplied more than almost anything else since privatisation and what have we got for it ??? two fifth's of F..K all !!

The North West have been on to United Utilities ( our supplier ) for years to improve the stock-holding of water by creating more reserves.
Nothing !!!

A recent estimate concluded that UU are losing enough water every day that would cater for 6 MILLION users. That is through leakage of the already stored water reserves.

At least the tories can't blame Gordon Brown for this one....lol

As for my Water Water "quote" it was from Tommy Steele's song not from from Samuel Coleridge Taylor. Thought it more appropriate in this context....lol

The song actually said Water Water everywhere and not a drop to drink.

cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: MikeL2
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 02:32 PM

hi maeve

I am luckier than you in that these days I don't have a huge garden with lots of plants to water.

I can manage reasonably well with a watering can. I know that the lawns will recover so I just leave them alone.

I also have quite a few shrubs and small trees that are pretty drought resistent....by accident rather by design.

Mind you my neighbour has just called to say they are going away for a week and has asked my to look after ( water) her garden for her.

On top of this we are saving domestic water eg washing up water etc and putting into the dried up butts in the garden.

So I will be busy watering each evening and as a result my right arm will probably grow a few inches longer than my left.

regards

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: Paul Burke
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 03:52 PM

I'm practising all my reels in case they introduce a hornpipe ban too.

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 04:31 PM

my friend, takes empty watering can and the hose around her rather large garden. She uses the hose to fill can and turns off hose nozzle to water plants from the can. This way she can water without lugging full can and she can use the water moderately.

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: maeve
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 04:42 PM

That's a good idea, VTam. Not an option here, but perhaps helpful elsewhere.

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 04:48 PM

I am almost sure that what VT says is legal even if there is a hosepipe ban.

Another gimmick is to rig up to divert your bath or shower water into a butt, and then use a pump to pump from the butt to the garden.

What you can't do legally (when there is a hosepipe ban) is to rig a hose from your bath outfall and go direct to the garden.

Wonderful thing the parliamentary draftsman.

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: Mrrzy
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 04:51 PM

Every time this summer (so far, pourvu que ça dure) that they start thinking water restrictions, we get huge downpours... as in, we think, tonight.

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: Les from Hull
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 07:59 PM

Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Samuel Coleridge Taylor was some other guy. Sorry mate, but he's about my favourite poet.

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: MikeL2
Date: 10 Jul 10 - 05:13 AM

hi Les

Whoops .....sorry.

My brain sometimes gets cluttered and rubbish comes out...lol

cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: mauvepink
Date: 10 Jul 10 - 07:02 AM

If the water companies were still nationalised I guess that the hosepipe ban would be country wide. This present ban id being done by just one water company, for now - United Utilities - so maybe it is better we are not nationalised at the moment?

What I find most annoying is that you drive around the North West and see water leakis all over the place. When you ring them they say it has not been reported previously, but surely United Utilities have enough people driving around that see these leaks too? Why do they not report them as well?

Some leaks takes umpeen reports before they are actioned (according to interviews on the News last night) and I know my dealings with United Utilities have not been good. Their Customer Services leave a lot to be desired (at least the ones I have dealt with) when there is a problem. And they always seem to deny previous knowledge of a problem.

They should get fined for not attending a reported leak within 12 hours and not doing something about it.

mp

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: kendall
Date: 10 Jul 10 - 07:09 AM

Why would anyone waste water and energy washing a car?

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: Les from Hull
Date: 11 Jul 10 - 09:34 AM

Before privatisation, the water industry was regionalised. Prior to this it had been the responsibility of (all-purpose) elected local authorities.

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: MikeL2
Date: 11 Jul 10 - 11:10 AM

hi mauve

You are so right about United Utilities. We had a leak in the road right outside our drive.

I reported it and they did come out reasonably quickly to look at. But then.....nothing.....so I reported it again. A different man came next time after a couple of days. He apologised when I told him that I had already reported the leak and a man had already been and assessed it.

Nothing again for weeks...So once again I reported it.....nothing !!!

Eventually after some months a team turned up and dug up the road. They told me that I should have reported the leak not waited until UU just happened to spot it one day as they were passing !!

I daren't tell you what language I used when I explained the situation to them. Not a word of apology from them and none since.

One of the problems as in our case is that most of the leaks happen on the underside of the pipes and the water just leaves a small puddle on the surface and so particularly in winter they are not noticeable and appear only as a mild leak when in fact they can be serious.

Regards

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Jul 10 - 11:57 AM

We deal with high heat, low rainfall and precious water always here in Western Colorado, actually in a lot of places in the West. As a consequence, they are pretty diligent about how to catch a lot of it before it flows to the rivers, fixing leaks, and educating folks on how to conserve, i.e. water at night, or at least after the high altitude sun isn't overhead. We don't water any grass and still we have enough tho mow about once per month. We use irrigation water without a pump or sprinkler, using just a trickle to soak overnight at the big tree, grapevine and ornamental grasses (3 plants) in the backyard and some in the front(a little bit of grass.) I water my perennial garden, quite small, by hose once per day and then only directly on the base of each plant so as not to waste. Some days I carry a watering jug to the closest ones to the house steps.

Despite the need to never waste water, car washes remain a fav. fundraiser for various youth orgs. and, Kendall, I don't understand it, either. It seems a terrible waste to me.

Good luck to you all in getting rain or whatever would help. It is difficult for me to fathom any part of the UK having a drought!

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 11 Jul 10 - 09:05 PM

"On top of this we are saving domestic water eg washing up water etc and putting into the dried up butts in the garden."
"Another gimmick is to rig up to divert your bath or shower water into a butt, and then use a pump to pump from the butt to the garden."

Hmmm, I dare not comment.... :-P

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: mauvepink
Date: 12 Jul 10 - 02:09 PM

What facinates me is this...

We are an island surrounded by water. I have no idea how much desalination factories cost, or their carbon footprint and total energy needs, but one would think we would now have the technology to make enough drinking water for our total needs. Perhaps we could even export some of it as we do some of our energy?

Then I just got to thinking why should we have a water shortage at all? Surely we could just dilute it and make it go further! ;-)

mp

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: Donuel
Date: 12 Jul 10 - 09:24 PM

Our water restriction ended yesterday after one then another 96 inch water main break was finally repaired. Much of our water systen inour county has pipes as old as 200 years to 100 years. We have about 3000 miles of water pipe and an equal amount for sewerage.
The dead and decaying infrastructure in the USA is on life support and is in the phase of patch and repair instead of replacement which is often the case for declining civilizations.

What will happen in the 10 years however will make the infrastructure debate moot. The water itself will become unsafe for drinking from the Catskills to Souhthern Pennsylvania due to the process of fracking. The natural gas extracted is traded for the enitre water shed of the greater Atlantic northeast.

Its a shame really but there is no hope that big gas will be slowed down in the destruction of fresh ground water that currently serves 60 million people. -watch HBO's Gasland.

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: MikeL2
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 07:09 AM

Hi

We are coping quite well with the water restriction but despite forecasts for rain for the past few days we still have had nary a drop. Other parts of the Country have had some rain but unusually for here, we are still dry.

Even the normally guaranteed certainty for rain failed. I refer to the cricket Test Match at Old Trafford failed miserably. The game was played in beautiful sunlight and no interruptions for play. Verrrrrry unusual this. Oh and we won against the Aussies....again unusual.

We are forecast to receive "heavy rain today". But at the moment we are still in dry mode but a little cooler.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: John J
Date: 14 Jul 10 - 05:13 AM

I had a water meter fitted earlier this year, it certainly concentrates the mind when it comes to water usage!

In south Manchester we've had rain in varying degrees since the first day of the hosepipe ban. Even prior to that my two 220 litre water butts have been at the very least a third full.

I wait until it rains before I wash my car. That way I don't need to wet the car first and it helps with rinsing the shampoo off after. The car gets washed 4-5 times a year whether it needs it or not. I've been using this regime for a few years now.

I use kitchen 'grey' water on the lawn - just on the really dry patches, it certainly helps. There's not a great deal of water involved as I now try to wash-up only once a day.

JJ

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: MikeL2
Date: 14 Jul 10 - 05:33 AM

hi john

I live just south of you, near Northwich. Apart from yesterday when the forecasted heavy rain turned out to be slight drizzle for out an hour, we have had nothing really.

I operate much like you with my car getting washed about 3 times a year and bathwater and kitchen water used for the garden and lawns.

We have been forecasted "heavy showers" today but no sightings yet ( 10.29 am.

Things are getting bad when they are closing about a 100 mile stretch of the Leeds/Liverpool canal due to water shortages.

On Look Northwest last night despite this the United Utilities guy confirmed that they are selling off several small reservoirs ( presumable to make money on developments ).

When pressed several times about needing them to collect water he poo-pooed the idea a inconsequential.

He kept ignoring the isea that we don't collect enough water but let it all run away instead of storing it. Leakages don't help but he said that they are dealing with them at record levels !!

Go figure....

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: John J
Date: 14 Jul 10 - 08:19 AM

It's all so insanely daft you just have to laugh.

You wonder which planet these goons inhabit - it's time they joined us down here on earth, the REAL world!

John

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 14 Jul 10 - 09:00 AM

Lawns in the UK will always recover. Don't water 'em and rejoice in the fact that grass-cutting is minimised in dry spells. Our last hosepipe ban in Cornwall was in 1995. We were still permitted to fill water butts with the hosepipe and then fill cans from the butts. You may find you're allowed to do this. Nosey neighbours might still think you're in breach if they see you doing this, of course. So erect a 30-foot fence between you and them first.

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: MikeL2
Date: 14 Jul 10 - 02:23 PM

hi steve

You are quite correct. Lawns will recover over here because the climate will ensure rain some time in the year.

In very dry weather I water my lawn - well throw buckets of bathwater and kitchen water on it. I must be getting old because believe it or not I actually like cutting my lawn these days.

It was not always so. up until a couple of years ago I used to reckon I had no time ( and even less inclination) to mowing. My good lady used to say that I would have let it grow up to my waist if she didn't bribe me to cut it. !!!!!!!!

I use soapy water because many years ago when my dad did all the gardening he saw Percy Thrower on TV during a drought advising people with parched lawns to sprinkle water with washing up liquid mixed in just before the rain finally comes. This helps the rain to enter the ground straight away instead of running off.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 14 Jul 10 - 02:38 PM

The old gardeners used to say they mixed broken glass with the lawn fertiliser so that the grass would come up cut. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Water Everywhere and not a drop to drink
From: MikeL2
Date: 19 Jul 10 - 02:03 PM

Hi Everyone

Last night here in the NorthWest we had some "real rain".

It is reported that in Cumbria ( where much of our water commes from) had over 100mms of rain.

But guess what ?????.....

The water authorities said that it was not "useful rain" because that amount flooded the area and " missed the reservoirs". !!!!!!!!

I must be dreaming *!*!*!*

Beam me up Scottie....

cheers

MikeL2