Hosepipe ban, power washer, water butt, pump - X-post

You have highlighted the main reason why prosecutions under this legislation won't happen. It's almost impossible to prove that someone watering his plants with a hose was connected to the mains rather than a reservoir.

Nothing new there -- there have been no prosecutions under the hosepipe ban legislation for 40 years. The legislation is bad and the water companies just make a lot of noise about £1000 fines in the hope that the publicity will deter people.

Reply to
Stan The Man
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So, in effect you could have an irrigation system fed by the runoff from the patio and if that water took it into its own mind to go and water the plants when you weren't looking then it's the water's fault. Serves it right for not listening to the radio.

Maybe that certain water company can buy back the seven reservoirs it sold off to developers and put water in it!

Richard.

Reply to
Richard Brooks

nightjar .uk.com> >

Until they are granted a drought order.

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Reply to
Mark

Water Companies can make their own rules for usage.

There doesn't need to be any law imposed

Reply to
The Invalid

In fact on our local TV they gave a rundown on what can and cant be used. It was OK to wash down your drive with a hose and fill up a water butt but not wash your car How weird is that?

Reply to
The Invalid

On a slight tangent, maybe the forced imposition of standpipes might alleviate a lot of friction on some estates?

Reply to
The Invalid

Yes

Reply to
The Invalid

Please explain.

Reply to
Chris Bacon

That would simply generate bad PR for the water companies, and the possibility of nationwide payment strikes.

Many of the water companies are already foreign owned, are heavily diversified, have leaking pipes, and have a terrible image as it is.

This is the sort of story which could keep the likes of the Sun and the Mail in headlines for months on end.

The idea of trying to gouge even higher prices out of people as they queue to draw water out of standpipes in the street, simply doesn't bear thinking about.

Possible water shortages which are probably a result of higher per capita consumption and building programmes as much as anything, are simply the first taste of reality that consumers are going to have to face up to. Spiralling oil, gas, and electricity prices won't be that far behind.

IMO, any government that wants to maintain social cohesion in such circumstances will need to do something to dampen demand across the board. Don't forget now, you read it here first.

michael adams

Reply to
michael adams

Don't need a pump provided there is at least 3 feet of height for gravity feed. Did this with brother-in-laws Commercial Steam Cleaner (45 gal plastic butt on top of 45 gal drum) for washing his artic lorries. will was 3 lorries WITH trailers before running close to dry.

You MUST filter it though - preferrably twice - as it goes into the butt to stop big leaves, twigs, dead birds etc, and the mesh from an old kitchen sieve (or even a cheap new one) over the outlet from the butt that feeds the washer.

Don't have hosepipe ban problem in sunny??? NE Scotland - just commercial water meters and charges to remrtgage for!!

Reply to
Don The Duck

On Wed, 03 May 2006 18:42:08 +0100 someone who may be Adrian Brentnall wrote this:-

They explained that in an earlier programme. One of the reasons for the ventilation system is to get moisture out of what was a damp house. In the last programme they said that the house was now much drier.

One of the latter shots in the programme showed it covered up, with a door to keep out litter.

Doesn't mean there is not one.

Like many things of this sort, the simple payback period is probably a number of years at current prices. However, that is not the only reason for doing things, if it was few would create flower gardens.

That seems to partly be the idea and there is nothing wrong with that.

Reply to
David Hansen

On the program he said it cost less than a 1/4's water charges to set up the system.

Ian

Reply to
Ian

Yes - I think I remember that. I was with him all the way until the wind genny bit - but I guess it does make for a good bit of TV "all the water and the electricity to power it is from renewable sources"..

Bit like that lovely water-wheel he built - which appeared to be used to run only the lighting in the house...

Not knocking the fellow - but, like so many of these programmes, there's a strong 'directorial' influence - and the entertainment part always seems to win over the informative.... - or perhaps I'm getting old and cynical

Regards Adrian Suffolk UK

======return email munged================= take out the papers and the trash to reply

Reply to
Adrian Brentnall

The message from Adrian Brentnall contains these words:

That sums up just about everything wrong with modern telly.

Reply to
Guy King

On Thu, 04 May 2006 12:47:05 +0100 someone who may be Adrian Brentnall wrote this:-

What is wrong with that? Lighting is a significant part of electrical demand in many buildings.

I would like to ask him why he went for a water wheel though. A turbine is more efficient, though it doesn't look as pretty.

Reply to
David Hansen

Suppose so...... - just feels like doing half a job - but I suppose that an installation capable of supplying 'serious' power might have required more energy than they had available...

Don't remember what the power out was for their waterwheel / inverter system - somewhere in the 'hundreds of watts' range, do you think ?

Hate to think what kind of an installation I'd need to get my (little) glassworking kiln running 'off grid' - it's rated at about 1kw - and idea what that equates to in terms of head of water etc ..?

I think you may have hit the nail on the head there. ISTR that, in the program where they finally connected the water wheel to their genny, one of them said 'well, we could have used a turbine but they all you'd see would be a little black box' - or words to that effect.

There used to be a lovely wheel at an old tin-mine / ore crushing plant down in East Cornwall - can't remember the name of the place now

- but it was a big blighter - probably 15ft diameter.

Actually - found the place - it's Morwellham Quay - pic of the water-wheel here

formatting link
slow moving - but with a definite feel to it when it was in motion. Sadly, not coupled up to anything at the moment - seems like a waste

Looks as if our move to Ireland may actually be going to happen at last - so on the lookout for a suitable property down in the South-West. Thinking seriously about heat-pumps for space heating - seems that there are grants available for such things over there... watch this space !

Adrian Suffolk UK

======return email munged================= take out the papers and the trash to reply

Reply to
Adrian Brentnall

Simple really. Though there are national laws, each company can make their own rules.

Reply to
The Invalid

Would you like to post a link to the legislation that allows them to do this?

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

Which was the implication of the rest of my post.

Colin Bignell

Reply to
nightjar

They can make _exemptions_ such as drip irrigation systems if they are so inclined but they cartainly can't make additional rules over and above the powers specifically granted to them by the Water Industry Act. It's just too bad if the water compnaies wanted to ban pressure washers for instance. They can't do it under the current law

As has been said, they need to apply for a drought order to extend the restrictions but even then they will only be allowed to restrict the uses specified in the drought order. They can't make up any additional rules until they go the whole hog and sapply for an Emergency Drought Order which involves standpipes, rota cuts and all sorts of nasties that the water companies will want to steer well clear of. They are already being bombarded with lawsuits from businesses which are claiming that their liveliehood is being ruined by unjustifiable hosepipe bans.

Reply to
Stan The Man

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