AIBU to be angry about hosepipe bans and whether people will comply?

I assume the rules are pretty standard, across the different water companies, but for Southern Water, you must be a Blue Badge holder, a registered WaterSure customer, or be on their Priority Services Register.
You must also have a mobility or health condition that physically prevents you from using a watering can or bucket

As an aside, if you are disabled, it's well worth getting yourself on your water company's Priority Service Register. Quite apart from hosepipe bans, it means that if there are any interruptions in supply, they should bring you a supply of bottled water to tide you over, rather than you having to get yourself to a local collection point.

Posting to say of course I’m going to bloody comply and am truly amazed that anyone won’t.

Now heading over to @Whynottryagain’s positive action on water conservation thread.

Of course we’d comly. Unless the pond needed water as I didn’t want to kill the fish.

Flooding and waste water is impacted by the growth in housing and our changing lifestyles.

Back in the 80s people had lawns that soaked away the rain, now we have patios, driveways and even fake grass. We're building houses, businesses and roads massively which all reduces where the surface water can drain and be absorbed naturally. More houses and roads puts surface water into the sewer (which were originally designed for sewage only and not sewage.

More houses and population means more showers, more toilet flushes, more going down the drain and the sewers were built over 100 years ago and weren't designed to cope with this mean people.

I know in my area they are improving sewers and creating storage to hold the waste going forwards so it can be be processed over a few days and hopefully avoid flooding. We got a letter explaining it with this year's bill in the hope to explain the increase in my bill.

Because most of us can understand that it's possible to disagree with the way water companies are structured and managed, and also accept we have a responsibility for the way we use a scarce resource.

@BlueMum16thanks, I just water my pots

Look at Raincatcher for flat ones that attach to the side of your house. A bit pricey but a good use of space. The traditional ones are round barrels so stick.out more, but if you have the space then they are good value.

I have a simple gutter on a sloped roof into a traditional barrel type on the garden shed. Then a couple of Raincatcher 200l slimline tanks that connect to the down pipe on the house.

Though as I said, they have now run out after being full from the thunderstorms a few weeks ago. I need to add to them, this is only going to get worse.

Really surprised at the poll results. Baffles me how so many still aren't angry enough at the water companies, and what is in fact a national scandal and criminal in some cases. We all know what they pay themselves, the decay and disrepair, the raw sewage pumped into our waters, the astronomic bills everyone pays.. Yet still such apathy.

YANBU OP. doesn't affect me but damn right I would still use my hose pipe!

Yes that will be allowed because the watering can is controlling how much you actually use.

i usually fill my watering cans with my hosepipe, is that allowed?

So you think this is more important than drinking water for those who are posting who have had supply issues?

And you're right I'm not going to read them. I can never be convinced using wholesome drinking water should prioritised watering trees rather than ensuring humans have access to water to live when they need it.

A basic water butt sits beside your gutter downpipe. It sends rain from your roof & gutters into the water butt until it is full and then overflows back down your downpipe into the drain.

You can buy a kit at any DIY shop or order online. You'll also need a hacksaw to cut the pipes to length and some gutter sealant. Or ask your plumber to fit it for you.

You tend to get skinny ones or fat ones. They hold different amounts of water but if you are short on space the skinny ones are good. You could get an IBC tank if you really wanted to.

Then you just by a drain pipe attachment kit.

Are you on a water meter?

The hot lines will be full of people reporting people for using hoses that are attached to their butts or containers though.

Yorkshire Water over £600,000 additional bonus ...it's appalling

As others may have said...you'd rather water runs out ...as it has once in the South East already this year, or water be extracted from our rivers??

Maybe your outrage could be channelled to demanding investment from those water companies / stopping ridiculous executive bonuses etc...? Technologies to store water etc..

There are lots of water campaign groups

It was just published that the CEO of one of the water companies ( can't remember which) had a bonus of a couple of hundred K.

We've got a wildflower areas for the bees and grow lots of fruit and veg, it's not viable to not hose. I've seen a lot of butterflies this year as my flowers are doing well.

I live near Cambridge and yes the area is often short of water and has been for years.

i don’t use a hosepipe anyway.

can anyone offer advice on a water butt? Is it as simple as just buy one or do they come in different types?

Yes, i will comply. I was living in Cape Town 10 years ago when it got days away from water rationing. People were getting into fist fights in supermarkets over bottled water.

I have a 400 litre tank on the side of the house to collect rainwater, and an 80 litre water butt collecting rainwater from the roof of the garden shed. They were full a few weeks ago after the thunder storms, they are empty now.

The small lawn hasn't been mowed and will survive. Most of the garden is well established shrubs and flowers that shrug off temporary drought. I will water the veg in the greenhouse and raised bed with a watering can.

My aim is to not use tap water on the garden, and I haven't up until now. I need to think about what I can add to collect rain water or grey water.

Whatever the water companies do or don't do, my aim is not to use tap water on the garden, for financial and environmental reasons. This weather is only going to get worse.

I'm not sure if data centres have been mentioned (I'm just too hot and tired to read through four pages) but a large data centre for mainly AI uses a tremendous amount of water. Up to 5 million gallons a day.

Hope they're on water meteres

You asked about pensions and I gave you an honest answer. You absolutely can make sure your pension is invested the way you want if it's important to you. You need to have a Google and talk to your provider. I can't reasonably help you beyond that.

"The water companies are just worried about having to supply what we need because it will impact their environmental targets"

Sorry, you're pissed off water companies are trying to meet their environmental targets!?! They're there to protect the environment!!!

Fuck the environment I want my hose pipe? Wah wah wah!! 🙄