Hosepipe bans

[Dustydog]

We all appreciate the need to use water sensibly.

My area in the South Cotswolds from yesterday have a hosepipe ban. The advisory letter explains how short the water supplies are and what the potential fines will be for breaking the ban.

Ironically as at 14th July 2025 it is said Thames Water lost 200 billion litres of water through leaks last year. That's 570 million litres wasted every single day - the worst in the country.
Speechless. Are all the other suppliers as bad?

 

[Mel]

I understand that OfWat is getting the elbow because of its failure to keep water companies abiding by regulation.
Mel

 

[Dustydog]

I was wondering what the potential affect this may have on caravan site fees long term? Metered payg water like electricity 😢

 

[otherclive]

We all appreciate the need to use water sensibly.

My area in the South Cotswolds from yesterday have a hosepipe ban. The advisory letter explains how short the water supplies are and what the potential fines will be for breaking the ban.

Ironically as at 14th July 2025 it is said Thames Water lost 200 billion litres of water through leaks last year. That's 570 million litres wasted every single day - the worst in the country.
Speechless. Are all the other suppliers as bad?

It’s been well publicised for years so it shouldn’t come as a surprise. What appalls me is that even from hereon the target of 2030 for reducing sewage spills is only 50% of the current level of spills. But realistically the infrastructure changes required are very substantial in their scope. Taken along with all the other demands on civil engineering and associate skill (H2S, HPC, Sizewell C, Northern Powerhouse transport, 1.5m new homes by 2029, flood prevention schemes, and not forgetting the renewables sector and grid installations etc etc) there aren’t sufficient skills and resources to meet the needs of the country, and there are also the everyday lower level civil engineering/construction requirements too.

Don’t expect too much progress too soon, and regrettably it will cost us. ☹️

 

[Jcloughie]

People quite rightly point at miss management, overpayment of bonuses, aged infrastructure, and lack of rain.

Not often do we hear about lack of storage reservoirs and distibrution. But, as a country, we only attempt to capture a tiny percentage of our rainfall. Less than 1% was the figure back in the 70’s. If, in the past, we had future proofed our storage capacity, we would not have a supply problem for public and agriculture today.

When dry spells are blamed I feel the real blame goes much deeper.

Regarding sewerage, bring back Joseph Bazalgette.

John

 

[otherclive]

People quite rightly point at miss management, overpayment of bonuses, aged infrastructure, and lack of rain.

Not often do we hear about lack of storage reservoirs and distibrution. But, as a country, we only attempt to capture a tiny percentage of our rainfall. Less than 1% was the figure back in the 70’s. If, in the past, we had future proofed our storage capacity, we would not have a supply problem for public and agriculture today.

When dry spells are blamed I feel the real blame goes much deeper.

Regarding sewerage, bring back Joseph Bazalgette.

John

Many years ago a large pipeline was installed to bring water from the Ladybower Dams in Derbyshire and pump it into Cropston reservoir near Leicester. At both ends it went through areas of natural beauty, and historical significance, including Charnwood Forest and Bradgate Park at the southern end. I recall that there were some objections but nothing like there would be today. The project was very successful and within a relatively short while the land remediation work had ensured that visibly you wouldn’t know any civil works had taken place.

These days would be a different matter. I note we haven’t built a reservoir in 30 years. I will watch progress on that matter with interest…….assuming I’m still around.

 

[Devonisheaven]

This water shortage, and sewage pollution issue is easily resolved……..Build more houses, in fact, build more towns! Let the greedy, fat cat property developers continue to get very rich without being made to invest in the infrastructure.

There, problem solved! 👍

 

[Jcloughie]

Some madness. The north western Lake District has had their water supplied from Ennerdale for many years. But a few years ago they found that the fresh water mussel was endangered so water extraction was phased out. They tried drawing from an aquifer. But it was very poor water and led to many complaints. So, at the cost of millions, a pipeline has been installed to bring water from Thirlmere. A reservoir already dangerously overused.

The people of Whitehaven and surrounding areas were not happy. Never ending rain, lots of beautiful lakes but not enough to drink.

John

 

[Buckman]

They keep building more and more houses and water has to come from somewhere and that unfortunately is existing dams which will "drain" a lot faster than they did 10 years ago! Water management in this country is atrocious! However why should the CEO's care as they still get their massive salaries and bonuses?

 

[JTQ]

Typically "we" are very profligate with our use of water, failing to realise it's a finite supply. There has to be a rethink, I expect until there is a critical need to, nothing positive will change just the problem will grow.

New estates for example could rethink our WCs, what a waste of such amounts of water, much drinking water. Cruise ships etc addressed this thinking as they simply had to.

 

[Buckman]

Typically "we" are very profligate with our use of water, failing to realise it's a finite supply. There has to be a rethink, I expect until there is a critical need to, nothing positive will change just the problem will grow.

New estates for example could rethink our WCs, what a waste of such amounts of water, much drinking water. Cruise ships etc addressed this thinking as they simply had to.

When we lived through a long drought i.e. no rainfall for nearly a year, we sued a product from Johnsons. After doing your business you sprayed the into the bowl and it eliminated smells and you could not see the unpleasant bits. Loo was flushed once a day. Washing clothes was done at a nearby laundrette. We used building sand to "clean" dishes and then washed them in the water which we had used all day. Very little water went down the drain and where possible used water was placed in the flower beds.

 

[Devonisheaven]

Typically "we" are very profligate with our use of water, failing to realise it's a finite supply. There has to be a rethink, I expect until there is a critical need to, nothing positive will change just the problem will grow.

New estates for example could rethink our WCs, what a waste of such amounts of water, much drinking water. Cruise ships etc addressed this thinking as they simply had to.

Flushing S**e away with treated water is pure madness, but of course…….It suits the water companies. 🤷

 

[otherclive]

When we lived through a long drought i.e. no rainfall for nearly a year, we sued a product from Johnsons. After doing your business you sprayed the into the bowl and it eliminated smells and you could not see the unpleasant bits. Loo was flushed once a day. Washing clothes was done at a nearby laundrette. We used building sand to "clean" dishes and then washed them in the water which we had used all day. Very little water went down the drain and where possible used water was placed in the flower beds.

Almost a case of “ If it is yellow let it mellow. If it is brown flush it down”

When we were kids bath night was Friday. A galvanised bath bought in to the kitchen. Only two fills of tepid water for my parents and brother and I. Certainly wouldn’t want to return to those days. We haven’t had a bath at home in years. Showers for us every time.

 

[Hutch]

When we lived through a long drought i.e. no rainfall for nearly a year, we sued a product from Johnsons. After doing your business you sprayed the into the bowl and it eliminated smells and you could not see the unpleasant bits. Loo was flushed once a day. Washing clothes was done at a nearby laundrette. We used building sand to "clean" dishes and then washed them in the water which we had used all day. Very little water went down the drain and where possible used water was placed in the flower beds.

I think the toilet spray was called "Water boy" used it a lot in Nigeria and Ghana, excellent stuff.

 

[Hutch]

Switzerland has a rule in apartments that toilets are NOT flushed after 10 pm, so that it doesn't upset neighbours.
We have done the same in our house, unless No. 2s to save water, and we have water saving bags in the cisterns.

 

[otherclive]

Time for a composting toilet. Do wonders for the garden and veg plot.

 

[Hutch]

Time for a composting toilet. Do wonders for the garden and veg plot.

Tried that for the dog waste 4 ft deep 12 inches wide, useless. Took me two days to dig it out and spread it into the rest of the garden. BBQs on hot days were not nice

 

[JTQ]

Living until quite recent years with a sealed tank cess pit sewage system where you get anxious for any delay in the arrival and pay a great deal for the "Honey wagon" to come and empty it, rather trains one not to use too much water.
The panic back in those days with visitors running taps without a thought, and the unease involved even watching TV sit comms where washing up, or tooth brushing scenes involves a continuous running tap.

Whilst in so many ways a good thing, the luxury of being on mains drainage or septic systems masks the need of most to even think about how much water they use, and more particularly simply waste.

The adoption of mandatory water metering might well help. A water tax?

 

[Buckman]

We were commissioned to do a survey for a dam in an area where there were frequent droughts. Obviously we were limited in the amount of water we could take into the area and we were there for about a month and nearest town 50 to 60 miles away through bush roads. We were in an old caravan which still had gas lamps. Showers and bath not possible.

To get water, we had to dig a hole in the river bed, wait until water seeped in and collect the water by the jug full. You could not use that hole again even if there was water in it as you did not know what wild animals had been drinking from the hole during the night. Great times were had by the three of us and many beers were flushed away.

That dam now supplies Bulawayo with water.

 

[otherclive]

I think a return to basics might be required, the Dunny.

 

[Dustydog]

My home town Sutton Surrey always had its own water works and reservoirs. They were demolished and replaced with new housing in the 1980s. The water company made a mint enabling platinum bonuses for the shareholders and fat car bosses🤬

 

[Devonisheaven]

My home town Sutton Surrey always had its own water works and reservoirs. They were demolished and replaced with new housing in the 1980s. The water company made a mint enabling platinum bonuses for the shareholders and fat car bosses🤬
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Since then the water industry has become a con that is riddled with corruption and greedy fat cats with their nose in the trough.

 

[Buckman]

Since then the water industry has become a con that is riddled with corruption and greedy fat cats with their nose in the trough.

and when they screw up it is the consumer that pays the fines etc while they still get their bonuses!

 

[otherclive]

We’ve had three regulators running in parallel over many years, none of which seemed to know the meaning of regulation or enforcement, and whose main objective seems to have been to keep our bills lower than they really should have been. Taken in conjunction with the companies attitudes to dividends and bonuses it’s really no surprise it’s a total pile of umbargoo. And somewhere in this mess are politicians whose main thoughts were always towards the next election. Yet environmental charities, focus groups and scientific volunteers, even a retired pop star have been trying to bring Regulators and Politicians to take action for a long while. Even The Times has had a long running campaign to clean up our waters. At least action may now be coming, but don’t hold your breath, the stench isn’t going to go away any time soon.

 

[Devonisheaven]

All hail Fergal!