Would you report somebody for using a hosepipe during a ban?

[BurntBroccoli]

Lots of people on FB saying they will continue using as much water as they please as they have “paid for it”.

Reservoir levels are at 55% capacity when normally it’s 89% and with much more hot weather to come, I’m worried that they will implement standpipes due to people being irresponsible.

I'd love to be reported, so I could proudly show off the 5,000L water tank buried in the back garden which takes all the rain water from the roof!

I suggested to DH we get a sign at the front saying 'tank water in use' but he said its no one's business. We've actually never had a hosepipe ban here anyway.

1976 wasn’t caused by a single year’s weather though; the 1975 - 1976 drought was caused by two very dry warm summers with a drier than average winter in between which meant stocks didn’t fully replenish.

How did you guys get notified about a ban? I haven't had any letters or emails (genuinely wondering as not been in this house too long)

I have no idea if there is one where I live or not. And I would not know anything about exemptions either.

I only have a very short hosepipe that just about reaches the plants on my patio. But I have to fill a watering can to water the veg at the bottom of my garden.

If my neighbour reported me for using a tiny hose to fill my watering can, I would be pissed. But she is petty like that.

Population in England in 1976 was 46 million compared to now which is 57 million. We are also much, much heavier users of water these days.

@ButterCrackersYou do realise that those of us with disabilities are exempt, don’t you? So make sure you’re reporting and/or shaming a disabled person who is following the rules perfectly!

It's only Yorkshire Water and possibly one other area so far.

Here it's been reported widely in the news and social media and, as a customer I've had multiple emails about the drought over the last few months (Yorkshire has by far had the worst comparative drop in rainfall this year) and this week formal notification of the hosepipe ban in the Yorkshire Water area.

So if you're not affected you won't have had this but if you are, you'd have had to avoid both mainstream and social media to have not seen it.

We aren’t missing the point.
Our point is that water companies have been charging extortionate rates, haven’t fixed leaks, have been pumping raw sewage into our waterways, but have always managed to pay their bonuses to the bosses.
They haven’t upheld their end of the bargain. We’ve paid our rates. We’ve upheld ours.
Now they’re making us responsible for their poor management and greed. And to do this, it involves reporting our neighbours.
They’re wanting to turn the public against each other because of their incompetence.
I won’t participate.

They should be fined. No bonuses this year. Our rates should be significantly reduced.

And they’ve had 50 years to make sure we have enough water to see us through hot summers.
50 years to improve their service.

50 years!

In one way a good thing, many people for example shower daily and wash clothes more often.

Since my post yesterday I was reminded of an unpleasant neighbour we had as a child who 100% I would not need to have reported, as I am confident one or both of his immediate neighbours would have done so.

Posters on this thread just don't get it, or just don't want to listen.

Yes, water companies are money grabbing and inefficient, but putting our heads in the sand about the current lack of water situation and not complying out of principle won't magic up water that isn't there.

This Pennine reservoir is our reality.
And no, I won't report someone either, but I will judge.

No I wouldn’t, some are exempt. Also it’s a stupid rule. You can’t use a hosepipe but you can use buckets etc so if you wanted to you could use more water than you would from a hosepipe.

Perhaps if water companies fixed the problems instead of paying the shareholders their wedge we wouldn’t need these rules.

Also mind your own business.

It’s like teachers doing nothing all year. Sitting on their phones or not turning up lesson after lesson and then panicking in April and forcing parents to get their children caught up in time for GCSE exams. Telling the parents to report the parents who aren’t doing it.

No other profession gets to behave this way. It’s only the utility companies and they hold us in a headlock.

Same applies, water boards can get out their and start doing their jobs more effectively

My neighbour was using his hose when I got home yesterday. He went out of his way to be super friendly which I am assuming meant ‘please don’t report me for using my hose’. It was for a small dog pool and I rarely see them using a hose so won’t report. My previous neighbour used to fill her massive pool frequently and I would 100% have reported that.

apparently a person has to be reported multiple times for the fine to be imposed. So the likelihood of anyone getting fined is probably small.

I do wonder why people use their hoses so much anyway. We have a large pond and a large garden but very rarely use a hose. We’ve watered our garden once this year and although things aren’t looking amazing, most of my plants are alive. On the rare occasions we wash the car it is with a bucket not a hose. Our pond sprung a leak earlier this year so I still feel guilty that we had to refill it as it’s huge. I feel we have to cut back extra to make up for this large usage. I’m also aware that most people wouldn’t feel guilty in that situation as they absolve themselves from any sort of social responsibility.

Only two companies have announced hosepipe bans so far: Yorkshire Water and South East Water.

You can use a hose :-
to fill a pond with fish in,
Water domestic food crops
Water newly sown/laid lawns for 8 weeks
Newly planted trees
If you have a blue badge
For building work at home

Maybe if they were leaving a sprinkler on the lawn for hours, but certainly not for a relatively quick hosing of the flower beds etc. No different to using several fills of a watering can. It’s all about context and whether the person is taking the piss - if they’re looking to do as little as possible then certainly not.

But all the exemptions means the bans are pointless anyway.

Lots of knickers getting in knotty twists, I see.

Firstly, a hosepipe ban doesn’t mean the death of your garden. You are allowed to water it, provided you use an allowed method. These are:

• using a watering can filled from the tap, not a hosepipe
• using water from a water butt
• using grey water such as reused bath water or vegetable washing water
• using a drip irrigation system attached to a tap provided it drips the water (not sprays it), has a timer and a pressure reducer.
• using water from a private borehole

You can buy an appropriate drip irrigation systems by Hozelock and others from around £50. This includes the tubing, drippers and the timer. This has three advantages over using a hosepipe during a ban - 1) you’re not at risk of a £1000 fine, 2) it’s more efficient and better for the plants as the water reaches the roots and doesn’t land on the leaves where it can burn the leaves and 3) it’s an automatic system so you can’t forget and also it can run at 2am when evaporation is lowest without you having to disturb your beauty sleep.

Obviously this won’t work for everyone, especially not those who want to broadcast just how much of an obnoxious plonker they really are to all their neighbours by using a hosepipe during a ban.

The water companies don’t actually have a say in whether a housing development goes ahead or not.

Even if a water company puts in an objection in the grounds that they cannot supply enough water to all the houses they are still obliged to connect them if the housing development goes ahead.

All the water companies can do then is to put prices up, install water meters and possibly impose hosepipe bans if reservoir levels drop.

In extreme circumstances they could implement water rationing, but water companies cannot refuse to connect a housing estate just because they have insufficient water to supply to customers.

It’s a totally insane policy.

I wouldn’t report anyone. They’ve got to get something out of the £1600 a year we pay to the water company.

Water meters will soon be compulsory, and they’ll be smart ones.

There are a few areas currently where the water companies are trialling surge pricing - more expensive in the summer, cheaper in the winter.

They are also looking at banded use - pay x for y litres of water per day, 3x for any amount you go above this usage. For this to work you need a smart water meter so they can see how much is used each day.

Hmmm - potentially? Certainly given me food for thought! 🙂

Ahhhh ok I'm in West midlands and don't think I am affected so thank you! I'm not on any local social media (like Facebook) so that makes sense! Thank you :)

Water meters will soon be compulsory, and they’ll be smart ones.

Apparently only 12% of households in England have a smart water meter, so that will require a LOT of installations. The figures in this report aim for 77% of households to have a smart water meter by 2050!

www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-review-of-englands-draft-regional-and-water-resources-management-plans/appendix-a-smart-metering-in-draft-water-resources-management-plans