Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
UK drought - end in sight
"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 |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
UK drought - end in sight
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 |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
UK drought - end in sight
"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 |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
UK drought - end in sight
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. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
UK drought - end in sight
"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 |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
UK drought - end in sight
"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). |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
UK drought - end in sight
"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 |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
UK drought - end in sight
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. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
UK drought - end in sight
"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 |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
UK drought - end in sight
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. |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
UK drought - end in sight
"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 |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
UK drought - end in sight
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. |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
UK drought - end in sight
"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? |
#14
|
|||
|
|||
UK drought - end in sight
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). |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
UK drought - end in sight
"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? |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
dog-gone another drought, only this is a Spring time drought | Plant Science | |||
Decapitated tulips (no chain saw in sight) | Gardening | |||
A strange sight at Home Depot | Gardening | |||
A strange sight at Home Depot...nothing strange at all about their practice! | Gardening | |||
Hate the thought, the end of summer is in sight | Edible Gardening |