[mumofstig]

Snap Growster 

[lettice]

On the South Coast, Portsmouth Water supply us, Southern Water take it away. So we have two bills.
supply is £9 for 8 months, takeaway is £17 for 10 months.
So no hosepipe ban here. We are not on meters either.

8 miles or so to the West and they have the hosepipe ban as Southern Water supply them and they have to have meters.

This month we have had two days that my weather station registered any amount, 22nd 2mm and 25th 0.4mm.

[Goosegirl]

No forthcoming ban here as we haven't had it as hot plus it's rained almost every day since!

[mumofstig]

It's just been announced SE water hosepipe ban will start on 12th August   
https://www.southeastwater.co.uk/about/updates/tubs-faqs

[Growster...]

Yup - got the email!

Might take a bottle of water across to Bewl Water and top it up...

[Aunt Sally]

Yup - got the email!

Might take a bottle of water across to Bewl Water and top it up...

me too.

We are very short of water in Kent.  But they still continue to build many thousands of new homes on green field sites around here.  Will that not just make matters worse ?

[Plot 1 Problems]

The frustration with this comes from the fact that we've barely built any more reservoirs in the UK since the 60's ( I think the last was in 1991) despite our huge population growth. As ever there is no long term policy here for anything, it's always short term sticking plasters for problems.

[mumofstig]

Don't get me started.... Too busy giving £££s to shareholders and execs to invest in infrastructure 
They are also dumping untreated sewage into rivers and the sea, and yet the charges keep going up 

[Growster...]

Yup - got the email!

Might take a bottle of water across to Bewl Water and top it up...

me too.

We are very short of water in Kent.  But they still continue to build many thousands of new homes on green field sites around here.  Will that not just make matters worse ?

I believe they're still mucking around with plans for Broad Oak Reservoir, near Canterbury! The plans have been going on for decades, and I can remember chasing up the construction business in the eighties! East Kent deserves better with the beaches collecting quite a lot of raw sewage most days! They even had to shut Broadstairs a few years ago - it's one of the most beautiful beaches in the South East and the nasty stuff was flooding basements and shops, so they chucked it all out into the bay just as the holiday season was starting!

As for new housing, I suggest we import thousands of rare newts and plants and spread them everywhere near a proposed building site, and let them get on with it1 After all, these species are far more important than the human race...

[JayG]

Yorkshire Water claim to have invested heavily in tackling water leaks within their system rather than investing much more in new reservoir capacity.

Time will tell if that's a good plan rather than a merely cheap one. 

[Goosegirl]

Personally I think that finding and stopping water leaks is a priority as no-one knows how much is being wasted every day, but we also need a long-term strategy to ensure our increasing population can be provided with enough water in the future plus not to waste water needlessly.

[JayG]

Bizarre situation in that most of us are currently struggling to say cool, yet in a few months time many will be in big trouble paying to keep warm. 

[JayG]

Yorkshire Water's hosepipe ban starts tomorrow. 

Don't know whether all water companies have the same detailed wording, but, rather unexpectedly, hosepipes will still be permitted to water edible crops here.

Acting in the spirit rather than the letter of the law, (and also so I don't have to worry about what my neighbours might be thinking  ) I shall put my main hose away today, but keep the timed drip irrigation system for the greenhouse going given that it's a very efficient way of watering (and still permitted.)

Does the same exemption for edible crops apply where you are, and if so, are you planning on taking advantage of it?

[hasbeans]

I didn't realise that JayG, it means I can at least run the hose through the house to the front for filling cans and not spill everywhere.  I won't use the hose on the garden anyhow as I don't need comments or even snitching from passers by or an argument with authorities about valid use.  After the last few days I fully expect the greediest plants (pots, toms and peppers) to start showing signs of blight so shouldn't need anything like the amount of water used currently.

[JayG]

Rather bizarrely, according to https://www.yorkshirewater.com/your-water/is-there-a-hosepipe-ban/#home (FAQ's: 'If I fill my watering ban up with my hosepipe have I broken the ban?') you would be breaking the ban.
Seems strange that you are allowed to water your food crops directly with a hose, yet can't try to save using as much water by filling watering cans up from a hose. 

Can only suggest those supplied by Yorkshire Water read all the FAQ's (at least twice!) and then make their own minds up.