Hosepipe ban... really!?

[NotTakenUsername]

So, we lose days of learning in the winter (most winters now - I understand it didn’t use to be so often.)

Now, we can’t use our water supply when we most need it!

We’ve had floods this year. Floods!!

AIBU to be pissed off that just as the kids finish school with dreams of lazy days spent with the paddling pool getting full use, our shitty infrastructure lets us down once again?

I haven't heard of one since I was a child (although that's not to say they haven't had them).
I just remember having a sulk because we weren't allowed to have the paddling pool out!
Then again this does seem to be a particularly hot summer compared to recent years.

Extreme of weather are only just becoming a regular occurence. So things like utilising rain water for 'grey water' systems are possible but not the norm yet.
As is infrastructure for ensuring we deal with snow days better. I raised this at the time of the snow but I didn't get the point across and all I got were a load of pissed off teachers thinking I was having a go.
Anyway, slight digression sorry!
I also agree with the pp who mentioned leaky infrastructure, very true.

I would echo a pp about unfixed leaks. The lack of investment is bad.
Someone else mentioned the 70s. There were standpipes in the street for many people in 1976 during that wonderful hot summer. A minister for drought was appointed and it immediately started to rain. The problem was there had been several very dry years previously, so the reservoirs hadn't been topped up during the winters, hence the panic.
With water butts, it not just the cost of the waterbutt, but you have to have a suitable downpipe to fit it to, which also involves the costs of altering/rejigging the downpipe. We have not got a single downpipe in a location where you would have room for a butt. How have other people fitted them? I would be interested to know because I would like one.

YABU for the comment about paddling pool alone
Don't ya know we get all the nice weather before the kids break up and then the weather turns again.

We need more water up north to put out our fires, raging for days now.
So the comment about sending surplus to the north, Yes, we couldn't half do with it atm.

Yeah fuck those northerners who will need to give up their houses below market value due to CPOs or their environment being violated so a pipe could be put in! They're just dogs here to serve the south, after all

Not quite what I said.

Anyway, I think the north is quite safe. The UK forgot how to do national infrastructure project decades ago. As long as there are shareholders to keep happy, there's never going to be the money to invest in such a project. And with every department and their dog putting in for extra dosh, it'll be along time before the government steps in.

You'd more likely see the price of water in the south east rise first. After all, what't the point of being a Russian oligarch if you can't keep your Kensington flat swimming pool topped up all year round ?

Agree re the water butts - all my neighbours have one or more. It makes sense to save the rainwater to use in the garden. They are not expensive so not sure why more people don't have them.

We need more water up north to put out our fires, raging for days now.

The "north" I was thinking of was Northumberland (or is it Northumbria ?). Kielder dam.

Yes, there's not normally a problem with rainfall in this country.
We have a couple of butts full, we keep it for the summer in case it's needed.
It's not rocket science, we always do it, as I can't stand yellow straw rather than green grass, and dead flowers rather than a thriving garden.

Agree re the water butts - all my neighbours have one or more. It makes sense to save the rainwater to use in the garden. They are not expensive so not sure why more people don't have them.

Gravity ?

Our two water butts are attached to the garage. They get full over winter, but I think only hold about 100 litres each. Can't attach a hose to them anyway cos they lower than most of the garden. Am currently using left over dishwashing water to water my plants and water from butts that's been in paddling pool. So it's dual purpose. Still need rain soon to fill up butts.
I did wonder after the winter 2010 I think, it snowed every day for 3 months, how was there a hosepipe ban that year? I mean snow is water right?
But if it's infrastructure then that explains it.

not one person I know has a waterbutt for their garden. 'Almost all' 😂 are you living in a stepford town?

I am in greater London, and most of my neighbours have at least one too, not sure what is so amusing about that? It's cheaper to use rain water than tab water to water the plants.
If they are empty, they are not a big help I give you that.

I can't believe people don't have enough common sense not to waste water sprinkling their damn lawns when we haven't had any significant rain in weeks

Does no-one remember the massive thunderstorms and rains only a few weeks ago?

Not all parts of the country had the massive thunderstorms, we had lots of dark clouds but no actual rain during that time. The last time we had more than a few spots of rain was the 2nd May

Ok for clarification:

I really was more interested in having a discussion about this situation than the paddling pool - it was more of an example than the motivation for the thread.

We are in Northern Ireland. The schools break up today. It doesn’t matter where the reservoirs are in Northern Ireland - it will rain there!

Northern Ireland Water has sold off reservoirs recently... leaves a bad taste!

Yes our ban starts this weekend.

Good thing about having a koi pond - exempt from hose pipe bans because of animal welfare.

The plants and cars appreciate it as well

:-)

soul

We didn't have any rain or thunder storms a month ago. considering the NW and Manchester in particular are supposed to be the wettest, we seem to have gone the longest without any rainfall.

I was quoting another poster, we didn't have any rain a month ago either.

Yes, sorry soul, I realised after posting.
It's the lack of water getting to me

I can't believe people don't have enough common sense not to waste water sprinkling their damn lawns when we haven't had any significant rain in weeks

To be fair I haven’t seen even one sprinkler watering a ‘damn’ lawn during this dry patch.

There have been quite a lot of hosepipe bans in England over the years. I remember one ban were the CEO of United Utilities told its customers to share showers. However his family could have their own individual showers because he had another house in a different water region.

Lots of people in London have gardens but not water butts as a lot of people live in flats.

In my case there is no downpipe on my building which doesn't have waste water pipe connected and as I don't know what my neighbours put down their drains I can't connect one to any of them. If I do get desperate I will use grey water from my shower or washing up.

m.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/could-a-cape-town-happen-here-the-australian-citie/3337928/

Lots of people in London have gardens but not water butts as a lot of people live in flats.
but then watering their lawn is also less of an issue.

The last hose pipe ban I remember from a few years back was followed by weeks of flooding. That's the problem, in typically "dry" countries, people do expect not to see any rain for the next 6 months.

In the UK< you know it's going to be pouring with rain for most of the kids holidays. People don't really take it seriously.

My water butt ran dry ten days ago. We are going to start using grey water on the garden now via a system of buckets.