---has the world gone mad! I live in the Thames Water area and under the new water restrictions I am not allowed to use a hose or sprinkler to water the garden (ok ,it has been very dry). I am also not allowed to wash the car with a hose (thats also ok, I can drive to the carwash!) but I can use a hose to wash the drive (better be careful not to splash the car!). I can water my vegetables on my allotment but not in my garden (--er? ok) but I am not allowed to wash the caravan (or any vehicle towed by a private car) at all (even with a bucket). After a long (dry) winter my caravan is very dirty but it seems it will have to stay like that until we take it away somewhere that doesnt have these restrictions. What if we bring back some water with us, would it be ok to use when we get home? I am getting mad now so I think I will take a nice long bath to calm down!
Is it me or---
- Thread starter JandP
- Start date
Two points I will raise regarding your posting Jim and Pauline. The first point is that in the today's Daily Mail there is an article which says it is OK to wash a caravan or boat with a hose pipe. Secondly after having your nice, hot and soapy(presumably shared) bath why not bucket this water out to wash the caravan? A bit of a potch maybe but think of the effect on the van of bubble bath and shampoo. A caravan with a gleaming shine, no aches and pains after the soak and also no dandruff.
Thanks for your advice Colin but todays Times says you cant wash a caravan. The advice to reuse the bath water is, of course, very sensible (though not as much fun as the government recommendation, I think from 1976, to share a bath!) but does that make it ok to fill the bath with the sole intention of washing the van with the water? No of course not, but I think people have less sympathy with the restrictions when they see so much waste (do car washes recycle the water?) including all the leaks. There is an item in todays Times suggesting you ignore it if you see your neighbour using a hose (the water company wants you to report them) and the general tone is that these restrictions are badly planned and will make very little difference in what is becoming a crisis in the southeast. Jim.
There will be plenty of water soon, not just from global warming. Marine scientists have discovered that a species of spiny starfish are attacking and killing the sponges in the oceans. They say from the amount of seawater the sponges soak up, when released due to their deaths, will cause a rise of 2 feet in sea levels. All of East Anglia will be under water. Poor Denise and her Canaries will have to take up surf boarding.
It's what happens when too many people want to live in the South East of England, an area with lower rainfall than the rest of Britain. Northumberland sells it's water by the supertanker to Arab countries, perhaps the South East should buy some of that.
Car washes are excluded from the ban because they filter and re-use their water.
There are parts of the country that have NEVER had a hosepipe ban, even in the drought of '76.
Car washes are excluded from the ban because they filter and re-use their water.
There are parts of the country that have NEVER had a hosepipe ban, even in the drought of '76.
LB is looking forward to living in the coastal county of Hereford.
Roll on global warming
Our climate like Florida!
My house worth 10x more as it will be wanted by lots of people with sudden damp problems in their own homes
palm trees in every garden!
In some parts of the world water shortage is coped with by only turning mains supply to homes on at a limited number of hours per week. You fill containers for drinking water and then have to exist off what is in your tank until the water is on to fill the tank.
If the tank runs dry you make a call and pay top dollar for the water tanker to pull up outside your home and the little man to scramble into the roof with a long hose and give you a top up.
Apart from little tricks like putting a brick in the toilet cystern and collecting the water used for salad washing and spud peeling, washing the car is not a problem.
After your automatic washing machine has done its first rinse the drain hose is either moved and connected to a container or hose to collect the less soapy and less dirty rinse water or a junction set-up easily sorted with garden type connectors is put in place.
Water from the wash machine rinse can water plants if you alternate where you put the earlier soapier rinse and latter fresher water rinse.
You can put the water in a barrel to stand or some filter the water and the final rinse water from your washing machines final rinses will wash your car or caravan fine.
If you use the system to water plants, the plants and soil will cope quite well providing you do not put the soapy first rinses in the same spot every time you use for watering!
If the tank runs dry you make a call and pay top dollar for the water tanker to pull up outside your home and the little man to scramble into the roof with a long hose and give you a top up.
Apart from little tricks like putting a brick in the toilet cystern and collecting the water used for salad washing and spud peeling, washing the car is not a problem.
After your automatic washing machine has done its first rinse the drain hose is either moved and connected to a container or hose to collect the less soapy and less dirty rinse water or a junction set-up easily sorted with garden type connectors is put in place.
Water from the wash machine rinse can water plants if you alternate where you put the earlier soapier rinse and latter fresher water rinse.
You can put the water in a barrel to stand or some filter the water and the final rinse water from your washing machines final rinses will wash your car or caravan fine.
If you use the system to water plants, the plants and soil will cope quite well providing you do not put the soapy first rinses in the same spot every time you use for watering!
I'm Probably gonna get it in the neck now,but I have to say I feel we are very selfish when it comes to using water,we really do take it for granted (ME TOO!) to see people in Africa having to walk for miles for one pot!! I believe it was our contribuion to pollution that gave them the big drought, why do we think everything is our god givren right? Yes I say again I am guilty of wasting water but am making concious efforts now to try not too, But I do think its out of order that when there is a known shoratage people would be so selfish as to moan about not bieng able to water thier plants, me thinks they wouldnt care to much about thier precious begonias if we go on water meters!!!!!!!! BUY Cactus's !!!!!!!!!!
Tina x
Tina x
You won't 'get it in the neck' from me, Tina. I agree with you. I think one of the things caravanning makes you particularly conscious of, is how much water you use - those trips to fill up the Aquaroll seem to come around really frquently. Although there are no hosepipe bans in our area (Anglia Water) as yet, it seems only reasonable to do one's best to use the minimum amount possible. It is surprising how many savings can be made with just a little thought and effort.
Water is a needed to live, water meters are used as a money maker in the UK due to privatised water companies.
In Eire homes get water for free I was told by locals last year whilst on Holiday.
I lived abroad as a kid as did many of my parents friends. the rationing system of turning the supply on and off worked fine, it was even said that it saved more water because with pumping stations being closed it stop waste due to leaking pipes and reduced pressure on pipe infrastructure.
My family and most of their friends still use the water saving tricks we used thirty odd years ago, many live in the Area of South West Water who are reputed to be the most expensive supplier in the UK.
In Eire homes get water for free I was told by locals last year whilst on Holiday.
I lived abroad as a kid as did many of my parents friends. the rationing system of turning the supply on and off worked fine, it was even said that it saved more water because with pumping stations being closed it stop waste due to leaking pipes and reduced pressure on pipe infrastructure.
My family and most of their friends still use the water saving tricks we used thirty odd years ago, many live in the Area of South West Water who are reputed to be the most expensive supplier in the UK.
Absolutely cris, although I mean I agree with the "principle" of a water meter,and would happily go on one if it was "fair" .
Damian
Moderator
Just a point about water meters, as cris and Tina seem to think they are some kind of money grabbing monsters.
Here on the Isle of Wight we have had meters for over 10 years now.
The Island was chosen as the testing place for them, and every house was fitted with one.
At first, people were worried about the possible cost, but in actual fact , the majority of people pay LESS than when charged under the link to rateable value.
In my own case, we are both home all day, have 4 dogs, large garden and veg area, two fish ponds, car and caravan, so quite a lot of watr is used for various things, like washing down, etc.
Our water bill is
Here on the Isle of Wight we have had meters for over 10 years now.
The Island was chosen as the testing place for them, and every house was fitted with one.
At first, people were worried about the possible cost, but in actual fact , the majority of people pay LESS than when charged under the link to rateable value.
In my own case, we are both home all day, have 4 dogs, large garden and veg area, two fish ponds, car and caravan, so quite a lot of watr is used for various things, like washing down, etc.
Our water bill is
Hi Damien ,dont recall calling them money grabbing monsters,if you read my first post on subject it is me that is PRO meters !!!!!! the unfortunate situation with England is that the government do see GOOD ideas like this as money making ventures, and its the likes of you and me that suffer, as all the low life dossers get rebates,the rich can afford it, hit the middle class hardworker again!!! I reiterate I am ALL FOR a FAIR metering system, why should my dad who is on his own Pay the same as me and my partner with three children!? of course thats not fair,should go on usage like lekky and gas!
Tina x
Tina x
What I find strange about this is that in Scotland and the north of England we seem to have an abundance of water. Up here in the northeast we have had the wettest March for years and the land is saturated. They seem to be able to use pipelines to get gas from Russia all over Europe so why can't the water companys get there act together and pipe water from the north down to the south.
I've got to agree with Damian. When we moved into our bungalow the previous owner was on a meter. We had the option of staying on it or not. After hearing nasty tales while holidaying on the Broads years ago of people sharing baths etc. I was a bit dubious but decided to stay on it for a year to see. Our bills were no dearer, if anything they were less so we have now been on the meter for 6 years. Regarding cris's post about South West Water surely they can't be more expensive than Welsh Water. My mother is on Severn Trent and they are far far cheaper.
We moved from a 3 bed semi with one bathroom and small garden to a 4 bed with 3 bathrooms and large gardens. the last house was water rates and this one is metered.
We save about
We save about
Damian
Moderator
In reply to Tina, what you say is quite correct, why SHOULD your dad pay the same as you? That is where the link to ratebale value is the money grabbing monster, and if your dad had a meter, he would pay for exactly what he used, no more, no less.
In response to other posts, I agree, its not so much a national water shortage, but a regional one, and its about time the Govt FORCED the water companies to get together, spend some of the huge profits they make, and put in a proper water distribution system , which would benefit the whole country.
What is even sadder, is the fact that as an Island nation, surrounded by water, which , if the pessimists are right, is due to flood huge areas of this country in years to come, why has not desalination been brought on line?
A small place like Malta has had desalination for years, and they survive ok.
I know that their water is pretty foul tasting, but their plants are very dated.
With todays technology it should not be rocket science to use these plants and end the water problems once and for all.
In response to other posts, I agree, its not so much a national water shortage, but a regional one, and its about time the Govt FORCED the water companies to get together, spend some of the huge profits they make, and put in a proper water distribution system , which would benefit the whole country.
What is even sadder, is the fact that as an Island nation, surrounded by water, which , if the pessimists are right, is due to flood huge areas of this country in years to come, why has not desalination been brought on line?
A small place like Malta has had desalination for years, and they survive ok.
I know that their water is pretty foul tasting, but their plants are very dated.
With todays technology it should not be rocket science to use these plants and end the water problems once and for all.
It has been said on this topic why essential services are so expensive whether it be gas, electricity or water. It is purely because of the fat cats at the top. they pretend that they are doing a good job but if you were to analyse a days work for their money it is a total rip off. We need these services so they up the price accordingly because they know that we cannot survive without them. Would these people at the top put on a pair of overalls and go down a trench to mend a sewer pipe in the rain for
And its all downhill to get it "down south" so it should be easy!
(sorry!) I actually think you have a point. It seems sensible to me but "they" say it would cost too much.
to be honest i think it is outrageous that there is a hopepipe ban and you cannot even wash your caravan or car.
We live in Devon and pay one of the highest water bills in the whole of the uk, and if they introduced a ban here i would insist on a rebate on my monthly bill.
These profit making water companies are raking in billions of pounds worth of profit, they are not approaching companies and industries who use more water than the domestic user, and yes - who do they hit with the ban - the good old british public!
taken for a ride again in this country...
wash your caravan in the dark if i was you
We live in Devon and pay one of the highest water bills in the whole of the uk, and if they introduced a ban here i would insist on a rebate on my monthly bill.
These profit making water companies are raking in billions of pounds worth of profit, they are not approaching companies and industries who use more water than the domestic user, and yes - who do they hit with the ban - the good old british public!
taken for a ride again in this country...
wash your caravan in the dark if i was you
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