Hosepipe bans to be introduced: Q&A

[wakadoo]

12 March 2012 13:00 | By Ian Jones, MSN news editor
Hosepipe bans to be introduced: Q&A

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Water companies across southern and eastern England have announced they are bringing in hosepipe bans as a result of the ongoing drought in parts of the UK. Here's what you need to know.

Gareth Fuller, PA


Which companies have introduced a hosepipe ban?

A total of seven firms: Southern Water, South East Water, Thames Water, Anglian Water, Sutton and East Surrey, Veolia Central and Veolia South East.
These companies serve homes across south-east England and East Anglia.
When do the hosepipe bans come into force?

Five companies have said they intend to introduce the ban on Thursday 5 April. Sutton and East Surrey, along with Anglian Water, are yet to confirm when the ban will begin.
What will this mean for people living in regions covered by the ban?

It's likely that the use of hosepipes and sprinklers will banned for any domestic use. This includes filling swimming pools, paddling pools, ponds and fountains. Watering allotments using hosepipes and sprinklers will also be forbidden. Local councils will not be able to use them for watering public parks.
People will still be able to use a watering can for plants and a bucket to wash their cars.
Have your say

Would you report someone you saw breaking a hosepipe ban?

Thanks for being one of the first people to vote. Results will be available soon. Why are the bans being introduced?





Drought conditions currently exist in a number of counties in England. These are: Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, parts of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, west Norfolk (all in drought since summer 2011); Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey, London, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and the east of Gloucestershire (all in drought since February 2012).
The hosepipe bans are being introduced as a result of the drought, which has seen water levels in some parts of the country fall lower than in the famously dry summer of 1976. It is hoped the bans will avoid water companies having to take more serious measures later in the year, such as reducing the pressure of water supplies or restricting demand by introducing standpipes.
When was the last time hosepipe bans were introduced?

In the summer of 2006, following two years of exceptionally low rainfall.
What have the water companies said about introducing the ban?

Southern Water's strategy manager, Meyrick Gough, said: "These measures are being brought in following an exceptionally dry 12 months.
"Thanks to improvements made to our supply network, which enables us to move water from areas with a surplus to those with a shortage, our lowest ever leakage level, the ongoing installation of 500,000 water meters and customers being more water efficient, we are in a better position than we would have been in these circumstances in previous years.
"But, as the weather gets warmer, the demand for water will rise and therefore, to safeguard supplies throughout the summer we need to restrict the amount of water used in gardens."
What has been the government's response?

Environment secretary Caroline Spelman has said: "These temporary restrictions will help protect the public's water supply in the areas most affected by the record low levels of rainfall we have experienced over the last 17 months. We can all help reduce the effects of drought by respecting these restrictions and being smarter about how we use water."
Could more hosepipe bans be introduced later this year?

Yes. The Environment Agency has warned that drought conditions could spread as far north as East Yorkshire and as far west as the Hampshire-Wiltshire border if the dry weather continues this spring. It has also warned of the effect of the drought on agriculture, meaning that the price of potatoes and other vegetables could rise.

http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/hosepipe-b...troduced-qanda

[wakadoo]

map for at risk areas

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk...web_Mar_12.pdf

[lloydi]

So the price of food can rise but its ok to continue to operate 3 million hand car wash companies across the country.....BRAVO! Obviously there is employment and the economy to consider but there has to be a balance surely

[Over Carl]

The govt need to do something about this - if most of the water wasn't being lost in ancient leaky pipes, or if Thames water was broke and couldn't afford to sort them, then I could understand but as usual it's the average person that gets squeezed while big business carries on raking it in.

[bbshark]

if they can reduce the amount of water we use then shouldn't we get a reduction in rates?
what to hot places do? dont they get water shortages?

[Mr Men]

I will continue to use my hosepipe as I pay my water rates, fuck em

[bbshark]

I can't fill the pool up using a hosepipe but I can using the bucket. So I have a outside tape which is close to where I put the pool do I can fill the bucket and empty it in the pool. Thing is this takes time, but I can save time by leaving the tap running saving me keep turning it on and off.

Could they fine me for this?

[Over Carl]

I can't fill the pool up using a hosepipe but I can using the bucket. So I have a outside tape which is close to where I put the pool do I can fill the bucket and empty it in the pool. Thing is this takes time, but I can save time by leaving the tap running saving me keep turning it on and off.

Could they fine me for this?

I doubt it - I remember when I moved back down south and wasn't aware of hosepipe ban, a neighbour started mouthing off when I was about to wash the cars.

I could tell he was gonna grass so I put the hose into a bucket and used the bucket for any actual application of water to car. Coppers did a few laps of the estate (they waited a while between each one) and slowly checked me out each time but didn't say anything as no water from the hose directly went on any cars.

[liveseytowers]

My massive paddling pool was lower than the tap so used to run a big piece of guttering from the tap to the pool. Kids loved it and I could just turn it on and forget about it. Took a bit to get it set up but owt was half the fun

[Northernbloke]

I'll continue to use my hosepipe as normal - but then I live oop north - not had a hosepipe ban in living memory here

[beansontoast]

Flush on "2"..!

Last week I read the government were on about attaching a huge water pipe to the white elephant HS2 railway to pump water from oop north dahn sarf. What a ridiculous idea - what's sustainable about that?

[DelTrotter]

A Few 50l Barrels and some sand and limestone. Fuck em!

[gurry]

This is all complete rubbish, and I work for a water company!!!!!!

I asked the question "I am on a water meter and pay for all the water I use and again for all the dirty water I give back. Will I get fined?" The answer I got was erm.... Not sure.

Needless to say I was livid. I will continue to leave all my taps running and the hose on.


The say we need to use water wisely and not waste the resource but the fact remains there is the same amount of water on this planet as there was 10,000 years ago......

[bbshark]

The say we need to use water wisely and not waste the resource but the fact remains there is the same amount of water on this planet as there was 10,000 years ago......

Its not about the amount to water on the planet but the amount of drinkable clean water.

http://www.lenntech.com/water-quantity-faq.htm

[DelTrotter]

Its not about the amount to water on the planet but the amount of drinkable clean water.

http://www.lenntech.com/water-quantity-faq.htm

Plenty in supermarket.

Either our Sewage and water treatment plants are not upto scratch or its to simply for sake to ration it (Introduction of 'smart ' technology to watch the middles classes usage )(easily Taxable without comeback)) This country has enough rain to water its people, your own personal experiences know this. Its pissed down as usual!

[BBK]

Nothing to worry about, just wait until the summer and it will flood where I am, rain all through Wimbledon and into the Olympics. As soon as I fill the fucking pool it pisses down anyway, maybe I should do that early this year?

[gurry]

Its not about the amount to water on the planet but the amount of drinkable clean water.

http://www.lenntech.com/water-quantity-faq.htm

Indeed you are correct and I'm not gonna dispute that(I already know these facts as I work there), but there is still the same amount of treatable/freshwater on the planet, in fact we have created a bit more freshwater by using desalination plants. The issue is how do we collect, treat and distribute the water. That's where the failings are.

The bottom line is all water companies are run by bean counting accountants who just want to strip as many assets as possible and run the staff down to a skeleton crew to maximize profits. Until this changes we will have years of drought and water restrictions.

The post by DelTrotter is closer to the truth. Yes the country has seen less than average rainfall but we still get enough.

More investment is required and the Water companies need to employ engineers and technicians to run them, not accountants looking after their bottom line for the shareholders. While I appreciate these companies need to keep the shareholders and owners happy should they take a big cut of the profits when hosepipe bans are issued????

[TAR]

How come the islands in the med, with all the sunshine they get, don't run out of water? It's because they have filtration plants to produce their own from the med etc.I agree with gurry, as with everything else in this country, it's all ran by accountants, trying to make as much as possible, and fuck the likes of us!!