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AIBU?

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Original poster

To just ignore the hose pipe ban this year

89 replies

Shan5474 · 12/04/2024 14:44

I know using a hose pipe is against the rules so I am BU but I’m fed up.

I live alone with no kids, all the neighbouring houses have at least four people in the family. I love gardening and I grow fruit, veg and flowers in a medium-sized garden. Last year we had a hose pipe ban almost solidly from May-October. We have one every summer (south coast).

I want to be a good person/neighbour, I just get so bloody frustrated when I can hear my neighbour’s shower drain constantly or them splashing in hot tubs/paddling pools in the summer while I’m taking ages filling watering can after watering can, when it would only take 5-10 mins to water the garden with a hose sprayer.

WIBU to just quickly use the hose in the summer? The neighbours can hear it, will they judge me? I know water use is per person not per household but the amount of showering/clothes washing/dishwasher use in the neighbouring houses must be way more than the extra water I’d use by just running the hose

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
AssassinsEyebrow · 13/04/2024 17:53

Yabu

Invest in some water butts or if you can afford it have an underground water reservoir installed.

parkrun500club · 13/04/2024 17:52

Where do you live OP? We had a lot of rain in the UK last summer - I'd argue that nobody needed to use a hosepipe. Even if it was a bit dry for say, two whole days, it soon rained again.

Maybe wait to see what the weather does first?

The other week my neighbour was watering his lawn (with a watering can). But it has rained nearly every day!

I think people get a bit obsessed with watering their gardens.

Otter2 · 13/04/2024 17:51

Just do it OP.

takemeawayagain · 13/04/2024 17:50

Robbiesraft · 13/04/2024 10:25

I despair. So, in the southern and eastern regions of the UK for sure, the rivers will dry up, our parks will turn to dust bowls and their beautiful trees will suffer and grow stunted, if at all. The precious water will be diverted for human consumption. It has to be. But we must use it wisely. Sod what Johnson does.

Business that rely on large volumes of clean, fresh water will be impacted. Massive desalination plants will have to be built. The wider environment will suffer. If you have time today, see the work of Water Aid to realise how important fresh water is. Google the US dust bowl and soil erosion, if you're into your history.

You know we've just had the wettest winter on record right? I really don't think we're going to be turning into a dust bowl any time soon.

That said businesses that use huge amounts of water in completely un eco friendly ways - like golf courses - should not be allowed to keep using huge amount in drought periods under 'exemption', it's obscene. Especially when the average person can't even water their fruit and veg garden properly.

takemeawayagain · 13/04/2024 17:46

We had a leak in our road, it was coming through the tarmac for months, the water company came out three times and said every time that it was run off from the hills. We then had a long dry spell and it was still flowing out, they finally conceded that it was a leak and a while later it was finally fixed. I dread to think how much water was wasted.

Ratfan24 · 13/04/2024 17:44

I agree the water companies are shameful, but setting up an irrigation system on a timer would be a great idea.

Original poster
Shan5474 · 13/04/2024 17:32

LlynTegid · 12/04/2024 20:39

Who is this man who has four showers a day? Are you sure he was not just going to the bathroom for a different activity and turning the shower on to muffle the noise?

Show quote history

He told me before he moved in that he showered after he poops which I thought seemed reasonable. I didn’t realise that would be in addition to his normal daily shower and that he had lactose intolerance. He was a cocklodger and very entitled in other ways so I had to get rid of him. But I bet he’s out there somewhere putting water on his butt while I’m thinking of putting water in a butt

OP posts:
Robbiesraft · 13/04/2024 10:25

I despair. So, in the southern and eastern regions of the UK for sure, the rivers will dry up, our parks will turn to dust bowls and their beautiful trees will suffer and grow stunted, if at all. The precious water will be diverted for human consumption. It has to be. But we must use it wisely. Sod what Johnson does.

Business that rely on large volumes of clean, fresh water will be impacted. Massive desalination plants will have to be built. The wider environment will suffer. If you have time today, see the work of Water Aid to realise how important fresh water is. Google the US dust bowl and soil erosion, if you're into your history.

WhatACluster · 13/04/2024 08:48

I will ignore one if it comes in this year…Thames Water are screwed anyway! And the amount of waste they are flooding into rivers is disgusting the local towns Facebook is up in arms about it all. The leaks they never ever fix…one has been around for 18 months and is scheduled for repair, they just haven’t disclosed what century they are going to repair it in.

Just like I normally ignore them! In fact I’m planning on buying a massive 3mx5m above ground pool for the kids this year and trust me I will be filling it from my hose.

scalt · 13/04/2024 08:36

Will the prime minister observe a hosepipe ban? Will somebody be irrigating the Number Ten garden with a watering can? Will government ministers desist from using their private swimming pools in their second homes? Just like Boris Johnson and his staff obeyed all rules and guidance, while telling us that we’d kill granny if we dared to comfort our dying loved ones?

2020 and 2021 are the reason some of us have little respect for micromanagement by the state, and big companies. And as for the water companies, with their massive profits, will they actually fix their leaks, instead of leaving temporary lights in place for weeks on end, while not actually doing any work?

Clafoutie · 12/04/2024 21:54

Justcallmebebes · 12/04/2024 17:06

I use mine as normal and take no notice of bans

Why is that?

KeyboardWhinger · 12/04/2024 20:48

Ace56 · 12/04/2024 18:15

What an odd thing to be worrying about now, in April, when we’ve had a ridiculously wet few months anyway…

I thought of the irony of an impending hose pipe ban recently too.

wplaf · 12/04/2024 20:48

I don't think you're unreasonable, but someone could video you using it and fuck you over. So I wouldn't.

KeyboardWhinger · 12/04/2024 20:45

Jadedbuthappy82 · 12/04/2024 14:59

Argh, human beings 🤦🏼😬 he's used too much for his shower so I'm going to use too much too...

And this, folks, is why the human race will never ever survive the climate crisis. Too many selfish people on the planet. I despair. There's just no collective mindset is there for protecting Ur greater good as a species.

It's not that you would be using your hose because there having long showers, you both need to think of the poor planet. Anyway...

The biggest issue is all the water lost through leaks etc. Some leaks pump out thousands and thousands of litres of water and the time spent arguing who is responsible for the repairs is horrifying,

scalt · 12/04/2024 20:43

Hosepipe ban? After all the rain?

Didn’t it rain non-stop for weeks while massive adverts were declaring “worst drought ever”?

calligraphee · 12/04/2024 20:42

Shan5474 · 12/04/2024 17:58

Why do you think your neighbours use more water per person than you do?

No they use more as a household. So iwbu if it was calculated per person but iwnbu if it was calculated per household because the water their house uses in showers mine would use for the garden

They are being more economical with water use by cohabiting, you are already using more.

LlynTegid · 12/04/2024 20:39

Shan5474 · 12/04/2024 19:26

I knowww it is 😩 I just want to water the garden without so much faff. My ex boyfriend takes four showers a day, surely they could impose some kind of personal ban and I could use some of that water for my hose??? 😩😂

Show quote history

Who is this man who has four showers a day? Are you sure he was not just going to the bathroom for a different activity and turning the shower on to muffle the noise?

KeeeeeepDancing · 12/04/2024 20:37

Get some water butts connected to your guttering down pipes.
However also put in some soaker hose on top of/ just underneath the soil.
Connect to the hose and no one will know you are watering your veg.

Original poster
Shan5474 · 12/04/2024 20:37

Hm out of the many water leaks last year there was a very big one and we were on bottled water for a couple of days and it was mayhem, people went into lockdown loo roll mode. Washing was a quick and interesting experience.

I do try to save water. I have a flow restrictor on the shower, a low capacity toilet, I use the water saving gel SE Water suggests in my flower pots, dehumidifier water for indoor plants, only do full loads of dishwasher and washing machine etc. I will get a water butt but I will also glare contemptedly at my neighbours who have lawn sprinklers and clean children

OP posts:
dollybird · 12/04/2024 20:34

DeedlessIndeed · 12/04/2024 14:49

Beside the point, but have you got water butts?
It's better for some plants, and if you have ones that you can just dunk the watering can in the top they are much quicker than waiting for a tap to fill up the cans.

I believe you are allowed to use a hose to fill a water butt if it's empty. It's the constant running of a hose that wastes loads of water.

We have about 15 water butts, so rarely run out of water for the garden.

EnterFunnyNameHere · 12/04/2024 20:25

I understand the frustration but you're being unreasonable.

A) whilst hosepipe bans are indeed a blunt instrument, they are one of not many options - there is no way to legally restrict usage to houses, so it's all they've got.

B) Watering a garden with a hosepipe is easy but so wasteful! More water goes on the leaves/space between plants and just evaporates off than ever makes it into the soil to be used!

C) You're a keen gardener but don't even have a water butt?! They are pretty cheap and super easy to fit.

D) we are a country in water poverty in many places lots of the year. Yes, it rains a lot, but it's not enough in the east/south/southwest. There are whole Environment Agency reports about how most places will not have enough water to meet demand in the very near future. And we are fucked if we run out of water! Even when a pipe bursts and people are on bottled water only for a few days it's horrible and total carnage.

Yes your neighbours could do more, but being even more profligate in response is madness.

bakewellbride · 12/04/2024 20:04

Just use the hose op. Some cuts of meat use the same amount of water as leaving a shower running constantly for 3 MONTHS yet we can walk into Sainsbury's and buy them without any penalty. The government have got it all wrong!

RollOnSpringDays · 12/04/2024 19:55

There probably won’t be a hosepipe ban this summer!

Perfect28 · 12/04/2024 19:54

Do the people saying 'fuck it just use the hosepipe' or "I'll be using it this year because my plants aren't going to suffer because the water companies are crap' realise why these bans come in to place and the reality of literally not having enough water?

LeekAndPot · 12/04/2024 19:49

Yabu. Get a water butt.