To not stick to the hosepipe ban

I’m not one to defend water companies, but it should be noted that some of the leaks have been caused by the prolonged drought. As the ground dries out it contracts, which can cause shifting around buried pipes that can make them crack. We’ve seen several round our way in the last 2 weeks, when previously no issues at all.

Yesterday we were talking about the very real possibility that our water would run out - reservoir levels are so low (SE) and we are in drought. I’m going to buy bottled water today and try to be ready for the worst case scenario. Everyone should be trying to reduce use and the whatabouttery in the media is a distraction from the real issues.

Just use a watering can. The others are business's so of course it makes sense to exempt. It’s no big deal to use a watering can for a month or so.

We have a small garden so mostly use watering cans anyway. My plants are still struggling anyway. We’ve had bits of rain here and there but then dry for days. My grass is crispy ( but the weeds are not!) my grass will grow again and i’ve not watered it. No ban here yet.

Its annoying when water companies allow so much wastage through leaks tho! Bigger picture is probably learning to adapt because this will keep happening until it’s the norm. Find plants that need less water!

Don’t you get fined for hosing during a ban?

Holiday lets. They have hot tubs. I also use all the water when I empty them on the gardens.

My hot tubs are eco friendly and use air source heat pumps. Filling them.with a watering can would take an awfully long time and would use exactly the same amount of water.

I think the hose pipe ban is more to stop people who may have a sprinkler running for several hours a day.

They moved 15 million extra people into the UK over the last decade and acted surprised when there was not enough water, let alone ambulances, doctors, infrastructure.

Use your hose pipe whenever you like. You're fucked no matter what, just live your life any way you choose, but keep it out of the eye of the secret police, and that means not advertising on mumsnet anything you do that can be traced to you. The responses to this comment will prove my point.

They're good little comrades on this site and they do love a good snitch to the stasi.

So you’re not happy that the water company is out fixing leaks? Hardly their fault that some repairs warrant a road closure for safety reasons. They can’t win.

I think it's a shame that hosepipe bans are such a blunt instrument. It would be better if we all had an allowance to use as we wish but realistically that's very difficult to achieve. I have just been out of country for three weeks using zero water in the UK. I will probably water my plants with the hose tomorrow and I really don't think it will use more than 3 weeks of domestic use.

So get an electric shower fitted over the bath?

Agree. Wrote my reply before reading yours and basically said the same thing.

You don’t even need to water all the plants in a big garden, some will be hardy and do just fine in droughts. I’ve barely watered my flower beds and most plants are still green and flowering.

Perhaps in this changing climate we should be thinking about adapting gardens to survive harsher winters and summers.

I expect the people who work at those places and need to pay rent and food etc would disagree! Unless the govt is arranging paid furlough for jobs affected by the drought?

I think in big gardens, you either take the hour to do the watering or you prioritise.

As many others have said, splash parks and car washes employ people and unless the govt do some sort of furlough scheme for these businesses, it wouldn’t be fair to say they should just close.

Someone in our road reported a mains leak.
It took a week to come out and a further week to fix.
300,000 litres - water for 200 homes for a week

I disagree. Some people have big gardens and it would take an hour or more to water using cans. All habitat are important. I totally get that we have an issue with water and we need to preserve it but I think we should prioritise plants over splash parks and car washes.

For those insisting a watering can would us the same amount of water as a hose…

Garden hose flow rate is average 9-17 L/min (2.5–4.5 GPM) for a standard 5/8-inch hose at normal household pressure.

A typical watering can volume is average 6-10L.

Do you seriously think you’re doing the equivalent of at least one watering can per minute?

Most people water very liberally with a hose, not stopping the flow between plants and often watering inefficiently by targeting the whole plant not just the base, or under and over watering some plants.
Watering cans can also be used with water butts not fresh drinking water taps.

I agree but a watering can does the job fine in a private garden.

To be fair flowers in gardens are essential for insect life which is essential for human life.
Biodiversity is key

It would likely be less water. People are generally more careful and targeted with a can than a hose. Just water the base of each plant, you don’t need to hose everything down liberally.

We visited a splash pad with our kids yesterday and the water runs for twenty minutes, is collected underneath the sprays, filtered, sanitized and cleaned in the twenty minutes of down time, and then put back out the spray nozzles. Obviously some of it is lost on the kids playing in the water but its not all running away to wastewater. They might not be as bad as you think.

Im going to have this as a draft as im sick of fucking saying it but some of us only have a bath I only have a bath because THATS ALL THE HOUSING ASSOCIATION WILL PROVIDE. Am i just supposed to not wash. Im also in a top floor flat with black cladding and window restrictors I dont have a garden to escape to. Its fucking unbearable up here so i need to have a fucking bath. I do fill the bath up with water and jump in and out of the same water but use fresh water when i wash my hair Not much to ask as i didnt add to climate change by reproducing and i dont go abroad and i dont drive.

What business are you in?

Standpipes won’t be easier on anyone.

Neither are daily showers.