Yes, I know I've banged on about 'thank heaven we put the borehole in'
but....a few weeks ago the pump broke down and it took a week to get
another and fit it. During that week, we had to use mains water and
last night Ray told me it cost £500! So it is indeed 'thank heaven for
that borehole'!! I believe our water board is one of the most
expensive in the country but even so! Think of how much we must all
cost ourselves if we waste any - taps left running during teeth
brushing, letting it run down the sink while waiting for it to heat are
just two that come to mind.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 16/07/2013 09:46, Sacha wrote:
Yes, I know I've banged on about 'thank heaven we put the borehole in'
but....a few weeks ago the pump broke down and it took a week to get
another and fit it. During that week, we had to use mains water and
last night Ray told me it cost £500! So it is indeed 'thank heaven for
that borehole'!! I believe our water board is one of the most expensive
in the country but even so! Think of how much we must all cost ourselves
if we waste any - taps left running during teeth brushing, letting it
run down the sink while waiting for it to heat are just two that come to
mind.

Washing the car with a hosepipe.
Flushing the Loo every time it is used (If it's yellow let it mellow, if
it's brow flush it down)
If you flush 5 times less per day you save over 3500 gallons a year.

David Hill wrote:
Flushing the Loo every time it is used (If it's yellow let it mellow, if
it's brow flush it down)
If you flush 5 times less per day you save over 3500 gallons a year.

I tried teaching that to the kids, but now I'm in trouble with Nick /and/ my
parents, because my boys now never flush the toilet. :-(

wrote in message ...

David Hill wrote:
Flushing the Loo every time it is used (If it's yellow let it mellow, if
it's brow flush it down)
If you flush 5 times less per day you save over 3500 gallons a year.

I tried teaching that to the kids, but now I'm in trouble with Nick /and/
my
parents, because my boys now never flush the toilet. :-(

Also worth considering harvesting rainwater in a bigger way than using 45
gal barrel system.
When we moved into Nanneys Bridge Nursery there was a large freestanding
tank ( swimming pool ! ) already installed
which delivered high pressure rainwater for irrigation. The capacity is
about 4,000 gals and it is filled by
water draining from the glasshouse roof.
We only do plants now on a small non-commercial basis and have reduced the
system to a medium pressure pond pump
powered system and it meets my needs most of the year.

Pete

On 16/07/2013 10:03, David Hill wrote:
On 16/07/2013 09:46, Sacha wrote:
Yes, I know I've banged on about 'thank heaven we put the borehole in'
but....a few weeks ago the pump broke down and it took a week to get
another and fit it. During that week, we had to use mains water and
last night Ray told me it cost £500! So it is indeed 'thank heaven for
that borehole'!! I believe our water board is one of the most expensive
in the country but even so! Think of how much we must all cost ourselves
if we waste any - taps left running during teeth brushing, letting it
run down the sink while waiting for it to heat are just two that come to
mind.

Washing the car with a hosepipe.

IMHO, "...with a hosepipe" is superfluous. ;-)

--

Jeff

On 16/07/2013 09:46, Sacha wrote:
Yes, I know I've banged on about 'thank heaven we put the borehole in'
but....a few weeks ago the pump broke down and it took a week to get
another and fit it. During that week, we had to use mains water and last
night Ray told me it cost £500! So it is indeed 'thank heaven for that
borehole'!! I believe our water board is one of the most expensive in
the country but even so! Think of how much we must all cost ourselves if
we waste any - taps left running during teeth brushing, letting it run
down the sink while waiting for it to heat are just two that come to mind.




That sounds like a difficult -and expensive- week.
We both try to be very good with water. When there's a hosepipe ban I
collect all the water from cleaning veg and salad stuff ... collect cold
'hot' water (iyswim) ... collect the cat's stale drinking water and even
cooking water if there's no salt in it. It is then used on plants that
are particularly stressed. I also keep a bucket of fresh water outside
for the cats to drink, so that's a good drenching for some poor plant.
It really does make a difference. In fact, I should be doing it now,
because I'm sure we're overdue a hosepipe ban. Bustles off to find
bucket .....

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

On 16/07/2013 14:35, Spider wrote:
On 16/07/2013 09:46, Sacha wrote:
Yes, I know I've banged on about 'thank heaven we put the borehole in'
but....a few weeks ago the pump broke down and it took a week to get
another and fit it. During that week, we had to use mains water and last
night Ray told me it cost £500! So it is indeed 'thank heaven for that
borehole'!! I believe our water board is one of the most expensive in
the country but even so! Think of how much we must all cost ourselves if
we waste any - taps left running during teeth brushing, letting it run
down the sink while waiting for it to heat are just two that come to
mind.




That sounds like a difficult -and expensive- week.
We both try to be very good with water. When there's a hosepipe ban I
collect all the water from cleaning veg and salad stuff ... collect cold
'hot' water (iyswim) ... collect the cat's stale drinking water and even
cooking water if there's no salt in it. It is then used on plants that
are particularly stressed. I also keep a bucket of fresh water outside
for the cats to drink, so that's a good drenching for some poor plant.
It really does make a difference. In fact, I should be doing it now,
because I'm sure we're overdue a hosepipe ban. Bustles off to find
bucket .....

Well Sacha, after all it is a business, you will no doubt claim it as a
tax expense, which will reduce the cost somewhat. The government
recognise that the SW of the country have high water costs, and
purportedly are doing something about it.
As regards car washing and hose being synonymous the major supermarkets
have car washers that use virtually no water, they seem to make a good job.

On 2013-07-16 14:53:05 +0100, Broadback said:

On 16/07/2013 14:35, Spider wrote:
On 16/07/2013 09:46, Sacha wrote:
Yes, I know I've banged on about 'thank heaven we put the borehole in'
but....a few weeks ago the pump broke down and it took a week to get
another and fit it. During that week, we had to use mains water and last
night Ray told me it cost £500! So it is indeed 'thank heaven for that
borehole'!! I believe our water board is one of the most expensive in
the country but even so! Think of how much we must all cost ourselves if
we waste any - taps left running during teeth brushing, letting it run
down the sink while waiting for it to heat are just two that come to
mind.




That sounds like a difficult -and expensive- week.
We both try to be very good with water. When there's a hosepipe ban I
collect all the water from cleaning veg and salad stuff ... collect cold
'hot' water (iyswim) ... collect the cat's stale drinking water and even
cooking water if there's no salt in it. It is then used on plants that
are particularly stressed. I also keep a bucket of fresh water outside
for the cats to drink, so that's a good drenching for some poor plant.
It really does make a difference. In fact, I should be doing it now,
because I'm sure we're overdue a hosepipe ban. Bustles off to find
bucket .....

Well Sacha, after all it is a business, you will no doubt claim it as a
tax expense, which will reduce the cost somewhat. The government
recognise that the SW of the country have high water costs, and
purportedly are doing something about it.
As regards car washing and hose being synonymous the major supermarkets
have car washers that use virtually no water, they seem to make a good
job.

I must check whether we can claim it against taxes though that doesn't
actually help at the time! We use mains water in the house and are
very careful about how much of that we use, too and yes, I hope the
government or SWW does do something about it but that doesn't help in
the past or the present, either, for us or anyone else. I'm not having
a grumble because these things happen, pumps break and in our case
plants have to be watered, or it's a disaster. What I'm aiming to show
is how expensive water is and how much many of us take it for granted
as 'free'. And we very, very rarely wash our cars at home but go to
the local Morrisons car wash. That was expensive last time as Ray
started filling my car's diesel tank with petrol. But that's another
story!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

David Hill wrote:

On 16/07/2013 09:46, Sacha wrote:

Yes, I know I've banged on about 'thank heaven we put the borehole in'
but....a few weeks ago the pump broke down and it took a week to get
another and fit it. During that week, we had to use mains water and
last night Ray told me it cost £500!

Flushing the Loo every time it is used (If it's yellow let it mellow, if
it's brown flush it down)
If you flush 5 times less per day you save over 3500 gallons a year.

Not always a good idea!

We tried it here, and the drains blocked, costing £shedloads to have
them cleared. There are similar stories about... One story I recall is
of someone whose neighbours did this, leading to expensive
drain-unblocking every three months. We costed it here and it's
cheaper to flush the loo each time. So far...so good.

It seems that in some circumstances some house drains need more water
going through them than is immediately obvious.

--
Terry Fields

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
Yes, I know I've banged on about 'thank heaven we put the borehole in'
but....a few weeks ago the pump broke down and it took a week to get
another and fit it. During that week, we had to use mains water and last
night Ray told me it cost £500! So it is indeed 'thank heaven for that
borehole'!! I believe our water board is one of the most expensive in the
country but even so! Think of how much we must all cost ourselves if we
waste any - taps left running during teeth brushing, letting it run down
the sink while waiting for it to heat are just two that come to mind.
--

I guess you have a water meter then?
Although I could choose to have one and it might indeed save me a bit of
money, I don't want to worry about every time I turn the tap on.
I consider myself responsible about water use and and careful with it but
tbh, if I am prepared to pay a company for supplying me with water quite a
lot of money per year for doing so, it's up to them to do so.
Imagine if your gas or electric supplier said "Pay us xxx every year for
your g or e, but do try not to use it"

On 2013-07-16 18:12:05 +0100, Christina Websell said:

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
Yes, I know I've banged on about 'thank heaven we put the borehole in'
but....a few weeks ago the pump broke down and it took a week to get
another and fit it. During that week, we had to use mains water and
last night Ray told me it cost £500! So it is indeed 'thank heaven for
that borehole'!! I believe our water board is one of the most
expensive in the country but even so! Think of how much we must all
cost ourselves if we waste any - taps left running during teeth
brushing, letting it run down the sink while waiting for it to heat are
just two that come to mind.
--

I guess you have a water meter then?
Although I could choose to have one and it might indeed save me a bit
of money, I don't want to worry about every time I turn the tap on.
I consider myself responsible about water use and and careful with it
but tbh, if I am prepared to pay a company for supplying me with water
quite a lot of money per year for doing so, it's up to them to do so.
Imagine if your gas or electric supplier said "Pay us xxx every year
for your g or e, but do try not to use it"

Yes, we have a water meter for the Nursery and had to have one as it's
a commercial use, which is fair enough. If we hitch up to the mains
for the nursery, the result is what we saw a few weeks ago. You can
only imagine what it would be costing now if we had to use mains water
right through all this weather! I thought we had a meter to the house
but Ray tells me that we don't, so confusion all round! I put in a
meter when I lived alone in my Jersey house. Unknown to me, a loo in
an outhouse had some weird arrangement for the overflow and water was
running away without that loo even being used. I ended up with a bill
for £300. I suppose that one or two people living in a house where
they're reasonably responsible about water use are probably an 'in
profit' customer to a water board. We only use a dishwasher or washing
machine when it's full, two showers a day (four perhaps in this
weather) and other fairly small use isn't likely to do much harm to the
planet. However, right now, we have a mains leak in the lane outside
our house which has been running for about 3 weeks and so far, nothing
has been done. Re your comments on gas and electricity, just wait...!
Personally, I am infuriated by the enormous amounts of light used to
illuminate shop windows long after closing time, or almost-deserted
streets. We have no street lighting here and nobody wants it. What we
do have are fabulous views of the moon and stars and we'd rather go
with that. Right now, I'm looking at a beautiful, clear half moon from
my study window.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

Personally, I am infuriated by the enormous amounts of light used to
illuminate shop windows long after closing time, or almost-deserted
streets. We have no street lighting here and nobody wants it. What we
do have are fabulous views of the moon and stars and we'd rather go with
that. Right now, I'm looking at a beautiful, clear half moon from my
study window.

Strange,
We also have half a moon over Swansea, I wonder if we have the other half?
I'm also metered, which is one reason for hose watering all the pots out
the field, it's slower but I can check for problems and I don't get a
lot of weed growth.
I am finding some thrip damage this year on dahlias, something I've
hardly ever seen before, so it will have to be a cut out and burn
followed by spraying.
David @ a yet again hot side of Swansea Bay

On Tuesday, July 16, 2013 3:17:40 PM UTC+1, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-07-16 14:53:05 +0100, Broadback said:



On 16/07/2013 14:35, Spider wrote:

On 16/07/2013 09:46, Sacha wrote:

Yes, I know I've banged on about 'thank heaven we put the borehole in'

but....a few weeks ago the pump broke down and it took a week to get

another and fit it. During that week, we had to use mains water and last

night Ray told me it cost £500! So it is indeed 'thank heaven for that

borehole'!! I believe our water board is one of the most expensive in

the country but even so! Think of how much we must all cost ourselves if

we waste any - taps left running during teeth brushing, letting it run

down the sink while waiting for it to heat are just two that come to

mind.









That sounds like a difficult -and expensive- week.

We both try to be very good with water. When there's a hosepipe ban I

collect all the water from cleaning veg and salad stuff ... collect cold

'hot' water (iyswim) ... collect the cat's stale drinking water and even

cooking water if there's no salt in it. It is then used on plants that

are particularly stressed. I also keep a bucket of fresh water outside

for the cats to drink, so that's a good drenching for some poor plant.

It really does make a difference. In fact, I should be doing it now,

because I'm sure we're overdue a hosepipe ban. Bustles off to find

bucket .....



Well Sacha, after all it is a business, you will no doubt claim it as a

tax expense, which will reduce the cost somewhat. The government

recognise that the SW of the country have high water costs, and

purportedly are doing something about it.

As regards car washing and hose being synonymous the major supermarkets

have car washers that use virtually no water, they seem to make a good

job.



I must check whether we can claim it against taxes though that doesn't

actually help at the time! We use mains water in the house and are

very careful about how much of that we use, too and yes, I hope the

government or SWW does do something about it but that doesn't help in

the past or the present, either, for us or anyone else. I'm not having

a grumble because these things happen, pumps break and in our case

plants have to be watered, or it's a disaster. What I'm aiming to show

is how expensive water is and how much many of us take it for granted

as 'free'. And we very, very rarely wash our cars at home but go to

the local Morrisons car wash. That was expensive last time as Ray

started filling my car's diesel tank with petrol. But that's another

story!
A small amount of petrol won't do a diesel any harm. Lorry driver's used to do that in the winter to stop the diesel waxing.

Jonathan

On Tuesday, July 16, 2013 6:12:05 PM UTC+1, Christina Websell wrote:
"Sacha" wrote in message

...

Yes, I know I've banged on about 'thank heaven we put the borehole in'

but....a few weeks ago the pump broke down and it took a week to get

another and fit it. During that week, we had to use mains water and last

night Ray told me it cost £500! So it is indeed 'thank heaven for that

borehole'!! I believe our water board is one of the most expensive in the

country but even so! Think of how much we must all cost ourselves if we

waste any - taps left running during teeth brushing, letting it run down

the sink while waiting for it to heat are just two that come to mind.

--



I guess you have a water meter then?

Although I could choose to have one and it might indeed save me a bit of

money, I don't want to worry about every time I turn the tap on.

I consider myself responsible about water use and and careful with it but

tbh, if I am prepared to pay a company for supplying me with water quite a

lot of money per year for doing so, it's up to them to do so.

Imagine if your gas or electric supplier said "Pay us xxx every year for

your g or e, but do try not to use it"

We have two holiday lets and the one that is less used is on a meter and that costs us more than the one that isn't on a meter.

Jonathan

On 2013-07-17 09:07:34 +0100, said:

On Tuesday, July 16, 2013 3:17:40 PM UTC+1, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-07-16 14:53:05 +0100, Broadback said:



On 16/07/2013 14:35, Spider wrote:

On 16/07/2013 09:46, Sacha wrote:

Yes, I know I've banged on about 'thank heaven we put the borehole in'

but....a few weeks ago the pump broke down and it took a week to get

another and fit it. During that week, we had to use mains water and last

night Ray told me it cost £500! So it is indeed 'thank heaven for that

borehole'!! I believe our water board is one of the most expensive in

the country but even so! Think of how much we must all cost ourselves if

we waste any - taps left running during teeth brushing, letting it run

down the sink while waiting for it to heat are just two that come to

mind.









That sounds like a difficult -and expensive- week.

We both try to be very good with water. When there's a hosepipe ban I

collect all the water from cleaning veg and salad stuff ... collect cold

'hot' water (iyswim) ... collect the cat's stale drinking water and even

cooking water if there's no salt in it. It is then used on plants that

are particularly stressed. I also keep a bucket of fresh water outside

for the cats to drink, so that's a good drenching for some poor plant.

It really does make a difference. In fact, I should be doing it now,

because I'm sure we're overdue a hosepipe ban. Bustles off to find

bucket .....



Well Sacha, after all it is a business, you will no doubt claim it as
a tax expense, which will reduce the cost somewhat. The
government recognise that the SW of the country have high water
costs, and purportedly are doing something about it.

As regards car washing and hose being synonymous the major
supermarkets have car washers that use virtually no water, they
seem to make a good job.



I must check whether we can claim it against taxes though that
doesn't actually help at the time! We use mains water in the house
and are very careful about how much of that we use, too and yes, I
hope the government or SWW does do something about it but that
doesn't help in the past or the present, either, for us or anyone
else. I'm not having a grumble because these things happen, pumps
break and in our case plants have to be watered, or it's a disaster.
What I'm aiming to show is how expensive water is and how much many
of us take it for granted as 'free'. And we very, very rarely wash
our cars at home but go to the local Morrisons car wash. That was
expensive last time as Ray started filling my car's diesel tank with
petrol. But that's another story!
A small amount of petrol won't do a diesel any harm. Lorry driver's
used to do that in the winter to stop the diesel waxing.

Jonathan

We've had varying opinions on that. One said just as you do, others
said moving it would have done great damage. So we didn't move it, a
man came out, sucked out the petrol, flushed it through with diesel,
re-filled it with diesel and took a cheque for just over £100 plus the
cost of the diesel!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk