"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...
They never issue any press releases about the good news because it
doesn't suit their political agenda but the Environment Agency is now
reporting big improvements in river, reservoir and groundwater levels:

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk...4767/1131486/?
version=1&lang=_e

And although they maintain that hosepipe restrictions will continue
until well into the winter, one of the south east water companies,
Folkestone & Dover, has this month ended its hosepipe ban:

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk...4767/1131486/1
401202/?lang=_e

The Government (Defra) has promised to update its drought laws next
year and will publish a consultation paper next month. Its aim is to
make emergency water use restrictions fairer, more logical and
universally interpreted by all the water companies. Thereafter, water
companies will no longer be able to tell lies to customers about what
hosepipe uses are banned.

Until then, a new voluntary code of practice will shortly be adopted by
the water companies to bring forward consistency.

The likelihood is that the new legislation will remove some of the
anomalies in the current aged hosepipe laws, eg by bringing swimming
pools, pressure washers and other exempt water uses under control; but
it will exempt from the early stages of drought restrictions efficient
plant watering methods such as micro irrigation systems which are
illogically banned under the current rules.

We may also expect to see an adaptation of the Australian hosepipe laws
whereby hose use is restricted only at certain times of the day or on
certain days of the week.



Does anyone know if anybody had been prosecuted for using a hose pipe either
for garden watering or car washing? A report I heard the other day was ....
no!

Anyone know different?

Mike


--
.................................................. .........
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com

In article , Stan The Man
writes

We may also expect to see an adaptation of the Australian hosepipe laws
whereby hose use is restricted only at certain times of the day or on
certain days of the week.


About time!
I rather liked the system in America that meant odd and even numbered
homes were restricted to alternate days with one day a week with a total
ban. I wouldn't mind anything like that as long as it meant I could
water the plants at least once a week.
Still Rosy Hardy of Hardy's cottage garden plants says that she allows
plants to go very dry as they do that in the wilds!
It is much better anyway for the plants to have one good soak than a lot
of little amounts.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...
They never issue any press releases about the good news because it
doesn't suit their political agenda

Can you explain what you mean, please?

Mary

They never issue any press releases about the good news because it
doesn't suit their political agenda but the Environment Agency is now
reporting big improvements in river, reservoir and groundwater levels:

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk...4767/1131486/?
version=1&lang=_e

And although they maintain that hosepipe restrictions will continue
until well into the winter, one of the south east water companies,
Folkestone & Dover, has this month ended its hosepipe ban:

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk...4767/1131486/1
401202/?lang=_e

The Government (Defra) has promised to update its drought laws next
year and will publish a consultation paper next month. Its aim is to
make emergency water use restrictions fairer, more logical and
universally interpreted by all the water companies. Thereafter, water
companies will no longer be able to tell lies to customers about what
hosepipe uses are banned.

Until then, a new voluntary code of practice will shortly be adopted by
the water companies to bring forward consistency.

The likelihood is that the new legislation will remove some of the
anomalies in the current aged hosepipe laws, eg by bringing swimming
pools, pressure washers and other exempt water uses under control; but
it will exempt from the early stages of drought restrictions efficient
plant watering methods such as micro irrigation systems which are
illogically banned under the current rules.

We may also expect to see an adaptation of the Australian hosepipe laws
whereby hose use is restricted only at certain times of the day or on
certain days of the week.

"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...
In article , Mary

Fortunately, the advance of water metering presents the water compnaies
with a dichotomy. If we are brainwashed into using less water, the
water industry gets less revenue from metered properties. Fokestone &
Dover water company, which lifted its hosepipe ban this month, has a
vested interest in doing so because it announced earlier this year that
all its customers would be compulsorily metered.

The Isle of Wight has been metered for years, thus my 8 water butts:-))

Mike


--
.................................................. .........
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com

"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...
In article , Mary
Fisher wrote:

"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...
They never issue any press releases about the good news because it
doesn't suit their political agenda

Can you explain what you mean, please?

The publicity generated by the Environment Agency at the onset of
hosepipe restrictions is overblown (so much so that research shows that
14% of people all over the country wrongly believe that they are
subject to hosepipe bans); but they never seek more than the statutory
level of publicity when hosepipe bans are ended.

That's because:

a) hosepipe bans per se contribute very little to water savings since
gardeners use less than 1% of water (but the surrounding publicity does
lead, allegedly, to a reduction in domestic water use of the order of
10% - including savings made inside the home where the Govt has no
power to restrict usage short of the ultimate sanction of
standpipes/rota cuts)

b) the water shortage is much more to do with John Prescott's new house
building agenda (coupled with insufficient reservoirs) - and supply
pipe leaks - than it has to do with gardening (or rainfall - which
statistics have been much distorted by the Environment Agency to suit
the Govt's agenda)

So gardeners and their hosepipes are the sacrificial lambs to a much
bigger God: the need to build tens of thousands of new homes in the
south east, many of them for immigrants, without having the water
supply infrastructure in place to support them.

The lack of water infrastructure to support new house building won't go
away unless the water companies can be forced to build new reservoirs -
and they take 20 years to make. So even if we suffer months of
flooding, the Govt still wants us to use less water so that they can
give our 'donations' to the new housing estates. Hence, no publicity
when hosepipe bans are lifted.

Fortunately, the advance of water metering presents the water compnaies
with a dichotomy. If we are brainwashed into using less water, the
water industry gets less revenue from metered properties. Fokestone &
Dover water company, which lifted its hosepipe ban this month, has a
vested interest in doing so because it announced earlier this year that
all its customers would be compulsorily metered.

That doesn't explain it! It does seem like a rant against the government
(which I might well support but it doesn't explain what you said about a
political agenda - to me anyway).

"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...
In article , Mike
wrote:

"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...
In article , Mary

Fortunately, the advance of water metering presents the water compnaies
with a dichotomy. If we are brainwashed into using less water, the
water industry gets less revenue from metered properties. Fokestone &
Dover water company, which lifted its hosepipe ban this month, has a
vested interest in doing so because it announced earlier this year that
all its customers would be compulsorily metered.

The Isle of Wight has been metered for years, thus my 8 water butts:-))

The Isle of Wight provides an interesting test area. When they first
introduced compulsory meeting, water consumption per household dropped
by around 10% on average - but this figure has gone down every year
since so that today, average consumption is only approx 1% less than it
was before metering was imposed.

That could mean that we have more money and are prepared to spend it on
water; or it could mean that the metered water bills were not as scary
as folk had feared; or it could mean that everyone is now accustomed to
using less water.

I think that water should be metered, we pay for everything else we use by
the rate we use it. Why shouldn't we? We've had a meter for years, it's made
no difference to our consumption because we were careful anyway, as
responsible consumers.


Mary

Stan The Man wrote:
a) hosepipe bans per se contribute very little to water savings since
gardeners use less than 1% of water (but the surrounding publicity does
lead, allegedly, to a reduction in domestic water use of the order of
10% - including savings made inside the home where the Govt has no
power to restrict usage short of the ultimate sanction of
standpipes/rota cuts)
I'd agree with every word of that.


b) the water shortage is much more to do with John Prescott's new house
building agenda

Well, quite.

"Stan The Man" wrote

snip

We may also expect to see an adaptation of the Australian hosepipe laws
whereby hose use is restricted only at certain times of the day or on
certain days of the week.

Europe has been hit too. France imposed hosepipe bans last year as well, but
I think it was allowed to water ones veggies. Food still comes first in
France :~))
Jenny

In article , Mary
Fisher wrote:

"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...
They never issue any press releases about the good news because it
doesn't suit their political agenda

Can you explain what you mean, please?

The publicity generated by the Environment Agency at the onset of
hosepipe restrictions is overblown (so much so that research shows that
14% of people all over the country wrongly believe that they are
subject to hosepipe bans); but they never seek more than the statutory
level of publicity when hosepipe bans are ended.

That's because:

a) hosepipe bans per se contribute very little to water savings since
gardeners use less than 1% of water (but the surrounding publicity does
lead, allegedly, to a reduction in domestic water use of the order of
10% - including savings made inside the home where the Govt has no
power to restrict usage short of the ultimate sanction of
standpipes/rota cuts)

b) the water shortage is much more to do with John Prescott's new house
building agenda (coupled with insufficient reservoirs) - and supply
pipe leaks - than it has to do with gardening (or rainfall - which
statistics have been much distorted by the Environment Agency to suit
the Govt's agenda)

So gardeners and their hosepipes are the sacrificial lambs to a much
bigger God: the need to build tens of thousands of new homes in the
south east, many of them for immigrants, without having the water
supply infrastructure in place to support them.

The lack of water infrastructure to support new house building won't go
away unless the water companies can be forced to build new reservoirs -
and they take 20 years to make. So even if we suffer months of
flooding, the Govt still wants us to use less water so that they can
give our 'donations' to the new housing estates. Hence, no publicity
when hosepipe bans are lifted.

Fortunately, the advance of water metering presents the water compnaies
with a dichotomy. If we are brainwashed into using less water, the
water industry gets less revenue from metered properties. Fokestone &
Dover water company, which lifted its hosepipe ban this month, has a
vested interest in doing so because it announced earlier this year that
all its customers would be compulsorily metered.

"Stan The Man" wrote
The Isle of Wight provides an interesting test area. When they first
introduced compulsory meeting, water consumption per household dropped
by around 10% on average - but this figure has gone down every year
since so that today, average consumption is only approx 1% less than it
was before metering was imposed.

That could mean that we have more money and are prepared to spend it on
water; or it could mean that the metered water bills were not as scary
as folk had feared; or it could mean that everyone is now accustomed to
using less water.

Maybe it's too cheap?
..........households pay 1.2 pence per cubic meter (Telegraph June 2006)

http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/aptrix/ofwat...ndyoumarch2000
says:

Watering a garden: Assuming a hosepipe for one hour uses approximately 540
litres of water: 70p



Jenny

In article , Mike
wrote:

"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...
In article , Mary

Fortunately, the advance of water metering presents the water compnaies
with a dichotomy. If we are brainwashed into using less water, the
water industry gets less revenue from metered properties. Fokestone &
Dover water company, which lifted its hosepipe ban this month, has a
vested interest in doing so because it announced earlier this year that
all its customers would be compulsorily metered.

The Isle of Wight has been metered for years, thus my 8 water butts:-))

The Isle of Wight provides an interesting test area. When they first
introduced compulsory meeting, water consumption per household dropped
by around 10% on average - but this figure has gone down every year
since so that today, average consumption is only approx 1% less than it
was before metering was imposed.

That could mean that we have more money and are prepared to spend it on
water; or it could mean that the metered water bills were not as scary
as folk had feared; or it could mean that everyone is now accustomed to
using less water.

"Stan The Man" wrote in message

Fortunately, the advance of water metering presents the water
compnaies
with a dichotomy. If we are brainwashed into using less water, the
water industry gets less revenue from metered properties. Fokestone
&
Dover water company, which lifted its hosepipe ban this month, has a
vested interest in doing so because it announced earlier this year
that
all its customers would be compulsorily metered.

I'm seeking clarification here. Aren't water metres (and thus payment
for water) a standard thing in all city locations or are they just
being introduced across the UK?

In article , Mary
Fisher wrote:

"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...
In article , Mary
Fisher wrote:

"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...
They never issue any press releases about the good news because it
doesn't suit their political agenda

Can you explain what you mean, please?

The publicity generated by the Environment Agency at the onset of
hosepipe restrictions is overblown (so much so that research shows that
14% of people all over the country wrongly believe that they are
subject to hosepipe bans); but they never seek more than the statutory
level of publicity when hosepipe bans are ended.

That's because:

a) hosepipe bans per se contribute very little to water savings since
gardeners use less than 1% of water (but the surrounding publicity does
lead, allegedly, to a reduction in domestic water use of the order of
10% - including savings made inside the home where the Govt has no
power to restrict usage short of the ultimate sanction of
standpipes/rota cuts)

b) the water shortage is much more to do with John Prescott's new house
building agenda (coupled with insufficient reservoirs) - and supply
pipe leaks - than it has to do with gardening (or rainfall - which
statistics have been much distorted by the Environment Agency to suit
the Govt's agenda)

So gardeners and their hosepipes are the sacrificial lambs to a much
bigger God: the need to build tens of thousands of new homes in the
south east, many of them for immigrants, without having the water
supply infrastructure in place to support them.

The lack of water infrastructure to support new house building won't go
away unless the water companies can be forced to build new reservoirs -
and they take 20 years to make. So even if we suffer months of
flooding, the Govt still wants us to use less water so that they can
give our 'donations' to the new housing estates. Hence, no publicity
when hosepipe bans are lifted.

Fortunately, the advance of water metering presents the water compnaies
with a dichotomy. If we are brainwashed into using less water, the
water industry gets less revenue from metered properties. Fokestone &
Dover water company, which lifted its hosepipe ban this month, has a
vested interest in doing so because it announced earlier this year that
all its customers would be compulsorily metered.

That doesn't explain it! It does seem like a rant against the government
(which I might well support but it doesn't explain what you said about a
political agenda - to me anyway).

Try this: the Govt needs to force us to use less water, whether it
rains or not. They want us to continue to use less water, whether it
rains or not. Hosepipe bans are the only way they know to make this
happen. So the Govt wants the bans to remain in place for as long as
possible. At the very least, they want the perception of water shortage
to continue for as long as possible. Hence they won't publicise the
lifting of hosepipe bans - and they force the water companies to do the
same (albeit they are required by law to at least put a small display
ad in the local paper to say that the ban is lifted).

"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...

Try this: the Govt needs to force us to use less water, whether it
rains or not. They want us to continue to use less water, whether it
rains or not. Hosepipe bans are the only way they know to make this
happen. So the Govt wants the bans to remain in place for as long as
possible. At the very least, they want the perception of water shortage
to continue for as long as possible. Hence they won't publicise the
lifting of hosepipe bans - and they force the water companies to do the
same (albeit they are required by law to at least put a small display
ad in the local paper to say that the ban is lifted).

Why do you think all this?