Hose pipe ban?

[angel102]

given this is almost certainly the longest, hottest summer in my lifetime(almost 37 years) with virtually no rain for the better part of 3 months I find it incredible that people are shocked that they should have a hosepipe ban inflicted on them as if it is some massive surprise and a bolt out of the blue. Yes water companies have leaks to deal with, and that should certainly be looked at, but come on, Britain is simply not equipped to deal with a Summer like this, given the running joke has always been wet miserable bank holidays and mild summers overall.

Be aware of the reality of the situation.

 

[ttaskmaster]

Tough luck. Like i said somewhere else, a local car wash near me they leave the hose running constantly.

If the water company impacts a business, they are legally liable for loss of earnings. You, on the other hand, won't struggle to pay your mortgage or feed your kids if your lawn goes a bit brown.
Besides, most of that car wash water goes directly back into the system.

Had the council today cleaning the roads with water, surely thats a waste.

They have to occasionally clean up the grit, oil and diesel spills, to stop vehicles from skidding off the road and into things, like buildings and humans.
It's a safety measure.

I find it incredible that people are shocked that they should have a hosepipe ban inflicted on them as if it is some massive surprise and a bolt out of the blue.

I think we should just let everything run dry and let those people sort it out, personally.

 

[BYTEr]

Weather is exceptional, but by all accounts water companies make huge profits and have huge leaks, perhaps they should use more of the profits on fixing the leaks before implementing a hose pipe ban.

 

[SC0TTRS]

 

[angel102]

Weather is exceptional, but by all accounts water companies make huge profits and have huge leaks, perhaps they should use more of the profits on fixing the leaks before implementing a hose pipe ban.

That is entirely expected when you have private, for-profit companies in control of essential utilities. Share price and profit is more important than fixing leaks or increasing capacity. Why fix them when you make more money by charging extra than you save from fixing the leaks.

 

[BYTEr]

That is entirely expected when you have private, for-profit companies in control of essential utilities. Share price and profit is more important than fixing leaks or increasing capacity. Why fix them when you make more money by charging extra than you save from fixing the leaks.

Completely expected, but then surely the body/regulator should be doing something which incentivises these companies to act, in this case, to fix the leaks and imposing fines by not doing so, surely the water companies would respond if it made economic sense to fix the leaks than receive fines etc.

 

[ttaskmaster]

Weather is exceptional, but by all accounts water companies make huge profits and have huge leaks, perhaps they should use more of the profits on fixing the leaks before implementing a hose pipe ban.

They're already fixing upwards of a thousand per week... half of which are caused by third parties stabbing things like crowbars and pilings through them.
Besides which, it's really a losing battle given the age and state of our infrastructure. What we really need is someone to bomb the country like we did to Germany, so that we can lay new systems and not have to work around awkward things that already exist, like buildings and roads.

Completely expected, but then surely the body/regulator should be doing something which incentivises these companies to act, in this case, to fix the leaks and imposing fines by not doing so, surely the water companies would respond if it made economic sense to fix the leaks than receive fines etc.

It's not actually up to the water companies. OFWAT (aka The Regulator) decides how much each company can spend on rehabilitation works, and then sets the leakage reduction target. There is no incentive to work harder/faster/whatever will fix more leaks... only fines for not hitting targets.

 

[Kenai]

Leakage won't be resolved quicker for two main reasons.

As ttaskmaster has said, it's effectively controlled by OFWAT, targets are set, budgets are set, the companies work to that.

Even where they try, water companies face an uphill struggle to get road closures, land entry etc. because councils don't want to upset commuters by closing a road.

The amount of money spent treating the water and pumping the water, it's in their interests to reduce leakage to reduce operating costs. They would be doing more if they could.

 

[Schizo]

The company i work for have had dripping taps for as long as i can remember,they had a broken tap once and it was on full for 3 days wasting water,company's waste a lot more than a normal household in my eyes.

 

[angel102]

The company i work for have had dripping taps for as long as i can remember,they had a broken tap once and it was on full for 3 days wasting water,company's waste a lot more than a normal household in my eyes.

yes they do, but I honestly don't get the people who say they wont reduce their water usage because company x or y uses more.

It's the entire mentality of "I will waste water no matter the conditions or the reality of the situation" that baffles me. it boils down to not being an arse. Someone mentioned earlier about veg in a garden, and yes that's one thing, but does a car really need to be washed twice a week or soaking the grass every night? No, it doesn't.

 

[angel102]

They're already fixing upwards of a thousand per week... half of which are caused by third parties stabbing things like crowbars and pilings through them.
Besides which, it's really a losing battle given the age and state of our infrastructure. What we really need is someone to bomb the country like we did to Germany, so that we can lay new systems and not have to work around awkward things that already exist, like buildings and roads.

Well that's one way around the infrastructure problems in this country

Never know, Vladimir might already have a similar plan in place

 

[rah^]

Poor use by third parties is also a big one for leaks and bursts...

Events like Saddleworth and Winter Hill dont really help

Just to put this into perspective there is a drive on leakage but as pointed out above easy to find leaks.. (to make it clear we have 25 guys out on leakage rather than the DWI mains cleaning schemes) and well about 90% of the leaks found we havent been able to get in and do due to local highways

 

[LeeUK]

Poor use by third parties is also a big one for leaks and bursts...

Events like Saddleworth and Winter Hill dont really help

Just to put this into perspective there is a drive on leakage but as pointed out above easy to find leaks.. (to make it clear we have 25 guys out on leakage rather than the DWI mains cleaning schemes) and well about 90% of the leaks found we havent been able to get in and do due to local highways

That's because you put temp tarffic lights up, dig hole, fix leak all in a day. But the hole stays and the temp traffic lights stay for another week before a different crew come along to fill it in.

 

[rah^]

That's because you put temp tarffic lights up, dig hole, fix leak all in a day. But the hole stays and the temp traffic lights stay for another week before a different crew come along to fill it in.

Ofcourse, thats because we love to pee people off - did you notice we tend to pick bank holidays and major event days to put up those pesky lights aswell?

 

[Deleted member 66701]

The day before the ban comes in I'm going to fill my four filtered 210l water butt's. Should be good for a fair few car washes I've worked out I can get a perfectly acceptable car wash using just 80 litres.

 

[jpaul]

80 litres is 6 buckets .. you only need 2 for a car wash , maybe 3 for a 4x4.

 

[LeeUK]

Ofcourse, thats because we love to pee people off - did you notice we tend to pick bank holidays and major event days to put up those pesky lights aswell?

I didn't say you personally did it to pee people off. Why can't they get the reinstatement team to at least turn up the next day i.e. to follow the leak fixing team.

 

[robj20]

80 litres is 6 buckets .. you only need 2 for a car wash , maybe 3 for a 4x4.

No you don't.
Need to rinse the car first, then two buckets to wash it, then it needs rinsing again

 

[theone8181]

The day before the ban comes in I'm going to fill my four filtered 210l water butt's. Should be good for a fair few car washes I've worked out I can get a perfectly acceptable car wash using just 80 litres.

Stupid question but could you not just use a pressure washer connected to a water butt, or even a hosepipe just to annoy neighbours (until the level drops and your hose stops working)?

 

[Vanquish-Storm]

I wouldn't mind but UU announced this ban (for in the future because they know it's not going to rain now until next month somehow) after a massive downpour where my street actually ended up flooded because the pipes couldn't take all the water.

Not equipped for drought not equipped for rain cant have it both ways.