[Bing]

We do not currently have a hose pipe ban in force, but are appealing to our customers for restraint during this period of drought to help preserve scarce resources.

anyone fancy moving to Essex? you are all more than welcome!

[catweazle]

we need to build more reservoir plain and simple

[jay001]

we need to build more reservoir plain and simple

how come we had horrendous sleet and snow here the other day and they talk about drought and hosepipe bans ?? guess this would be a good time to purchase said hosepipe -- cos they are prob in the sales now 

[allot2learn]

I think it may be a good time to purchase water butts and get them filled in readiness.
I have six which I am in the process of plumbing in to my greenhouse roof.

[Ian_A]

Sure the utter incompetence of the water authorities is staggering with their leaks and their perpetual inability to address these in a way that even gets close to effectiveness, while charging a lot to consumers, but we all need to do our bit. If the hosepipe ban makes us think a little more sensibly and get creative etc then good.

A local golf club was moaning about the ban - ridiculous. Who cares about their lawns and why should they be as exempt as they suggest they should be....

[jay001]

A local golf club was moaning about the ban - ridiculous. Who cares about their lawns and why should they be as exempt as they suggest they should be....
[/quote]

i agree -- think it was wordsworth that said golf ruins a good walk well i dont walk very well but i want a good show of veg and flowers this year and as a novice gardener the last thing i need is no water!! i can manage to kill off most of the things i try to grow without yet more problems from local athorities that should have more experience by now   

[Paul Plots]

Sure the utter incompetence of the water authorities is staggering with their leaks and their perpetual inability to address these in a way that even gets close to effectiveness, while charging a lot to consumers, but we all need to do our bit. If the hosepipe ban makes us think a little more sensibly and get creative etc then good.

A local golf club was moaning about the ban - ridiculous. Who cares about their lawns and why should they be as exempt as they suggest they should be....

In 1976 Goodwood Racecourse (just up hill from you I guess) was the most amazing green lush sight - truly beautiful in contrast to the parched dry Southdowns and farm land around us.

Every night they sprayed hundreds of gallons of water pumped from their own artesian wells sunk deep into the chalk aquifer.

So what?

Seemed unfair to me that the rest of us were nearing stand-pipe measures while the race horses trotted on emerald green grass. (Water that could have been used for drinking.) Can’t remember how Goodwood Golf Course fared.

(B*gg*r golf!)

[muckshifter]

We do not currently have a hose pipe ban in force, but are appealing to our customers for restraint during this period of drought to help preserve scarce resources.

anyone fancy moving to Essex? you are all more than welcome!

Bing, we are the lucky ones here,as I know first hand from being on hire to Essex & Suffolk contractors that quite a bit is spent on up dating & maintaining infrastructure thus less wastage. .

[PembsPanther]

In sunny (not at the moment!) Wales we have no hose pipe ban yet, I do feel for people though that do, for me it is unacceptable in the year 2012 that we still experience such caveman problems!

I think the thing I would be most angry at is the ridiculous amount of money we pay for water bills every year, for me it is a shame that there are not enough people with a spine to stand together and for once bite back and say NO we are not happy with this and we are not going to tolerate it! A simple stoppage of water bills by enough people for a long enough time should sort the matter and ensure it never happens again, but sadly we have all turned into weak willed morons and sit back and relax whilst our government and these badly run greedy PLC's walk all over us and the come back for a bit more

The water butt seems to be the only option for you all just keep your fingers crossed for some rain then you can do what the water companies seems to find it so difficult to do and collect some water

[GrannieAnnie]

The thing about the amount of money we pay the water companies though is, more than half of that usually goes for the mains drainage a lot of people are on.

We have a septic tank/cess pit here and our water was £16 a month, but since we got rid of most of the poultry, its gone down to £9 a month!  I can't complain about that!

[Mrs Bee]

We do not currently have a hose pipe ban in force, but are appealing to our customers for restraint during this period of drought to help preserve scarce resources.

anyone fancy moving to Essex? you are all more than welcome!

Bing, we are the lucky ones here,as I know first hand from being on hire to Essex & Suffolk contractors that quite a bit is spent on up dating & maintaining infrastructure thus less wastage. .

Perhaps you should come over the border and sort out Thames Water. They could do with it.

[Paul Plots]

The thing about the amount of money we pay the water companies though is, more than half of that usually goes for the mains drainage a lot of people are on.

We have a septic tank/cess pit here and our water was £16 a month, but since we got rid of most of the poultry, its gone down to £9 a month!  I can't complain about that!

We pay two companies - one for water supply and the other for mains drainage with an annual discount as our run-off rainwater goes into soak aways (the bit that doesn't go into water butts that is )

[Ian_A]

Sure the utter incompetence of the water authorities is staggering with their leaks and their perpetual inability to address these in a way that even gets close to effectiveness, while charging a lot to consumers, but we all need to do our bit. If the hosepipe ban makes us think a little more sensibly and get creative etc then good.

A local golf club was moaning about the ban - ridiculous. Who cares about their lawns and why should they be as exempt as they suggest they should be....

In 1976 Goodwood Racecourse (just up hill from you I guess) was the most amazing green lush sight - truly beautiful in contrast to the parched dry Southdowns and farm land around us.

Every night they sprayed hundreds of gallons of water pumped from their own artesian wells sunk deep into the chalk aquifer.

So what?

Seemed unfair to me that the rest of us were nearing stand-pipe measures while the race horses trotted on emerald green grass. (Water that could have been used for drinking.) Can’t remember how Goodwood Golf Course fared.

(B*gg*r golf!)

Yes the unfairness of it. Last year my local golf course (my garden backs onto it) asked me and my neighbours not to burn things in our garden as it was interfering with the playing of golf and some of their "exclusive clients"were not happy about it - even though we were burning at allowed times. Needless to say I didnt stop burning and neither did some of the neighbours.

There is some sort of snobbishness about the club: rules dont apply to them and they feel they can call the shots.....So if anyone needs stuff burning en masse, bring it down to me and I will have a huge bonfire - and if it clashes with another of their golf tournaments well there you go

[muckshifter]

We do not currently have a hose pipe ban in force, but are appealing to our customers for restraint during this period of drought to help preserve scarce resources.

anyone fancy moving to Essex? you are all more than welcome!

Bing, we are the lucky ones here,as I know first hand from being on hire to Essex & Suffolk contractors that quite a bit is spent on up dating & maintaining infrastructure thus less wastage. .

Perhaps you should come over the border and sort out Thames Water. They could do with it.

Oh Mrs B, I've just been on hire to one of Thames Waters contractors,quite likely in your neck of the woods (King Georges Reservoir) doing vital work  ,reaching up the banks with my digger,patching sheep damage.(They dig holes those sheep)

[maxyboo]

Down here in Norfolk we have had rain every day since the hosepipe ban was introduced on Thursday and more to come all week by the sound of it. I live near Denver where the sluice is and have just been told that it was overflowing so we sent a load of water to Essex. I assume Anglian water made a tidy sum from this. We would like it back now please.
Also on the subject of blue badge holders being able to use hosepipes, I have no objection for watering of veggies but have a wheelchair bound neighbour who will be watering his well established shrubs every day through the summer for at least an hour a day.   It drives me mad!