To think it is the water companies that need to conserve water, not householders?

[7ofNine]

FFS, it's June 2nd, and already had a text from my water company asking for "my help to keep demand down in my area" by not using sprinklers or hoses.

AIBU to think they should work on the 30-50% of water they lose from the system every year instead of harassing 'customers'?
FWIW I have no garden or balcony, so I don't use sprinklers or hosepipe anyway!
Plus we all turn off the tap while brushing teeth etc, don't waste water wherever we can.

We reported a burst water main in the road once. A week or so later it was still burst and we got a text asking how we found their response. They asked why we only have a low star or whatever it was and we told them because it was still burst. Tbf later that day the cones were out and it got fixed but I'd hate to think how much water got lost during that week and a half it was burst.

I agree with hoses and sprinkler bans though when needed. So...

Wtf. It rained pretty much constantly from October to March!

yabu
water companies, industry, council/government and private households all should be frugal with water.

Growing up in Yorkshire we had hide pipe bans every single year.

Then, when the water companies were privatised, Yorkshire Water were actually incentivised to fix its pipes.

It took about five years for them to finish, but there's barely been a hose pipe ban since.

Yes, @bluefoxmug we all should minimise use. My point is households already are, but the water companies waste millions of gallons a year.

I'm really interested as to what is prompting this spike in demand. Water companies are claiming it is because of lockdown, but I'm not sure exactly why. Electricity consumption is down over the same period.

They are also claiming in my area that this is am issue with insufficient treatment capacity rather than reservoir stocks. That sounds like poor planning and a failure to invest.

YANBU. They're completely use. It rains for three quarters of the bloody year, how are they running out of water now? I'll tell you how, they've stopped using the perfectly good local reservoirs and have tried to cut costs by centralising them. There's a reservoir, closed in about 2003,a few miles away from me which is full to the brim, meanwhile we get our water from the one 30 miles away that is always on the news every dry summer because it goes down so quickly.

Useless

Makes me cross.

Drains round here have veritably lush, green ecosystems growing out of them. Rainwater causes flooding and potholes during colder weather. Surely rainwater should feed into free flowing drains and top up the water supply?

Burst water mains are too common too.

I think it's probably complicated, and thus the solution is probably complicated but it doesn't seem unreasonable to ask people not to use hosepipes.

There are many more of us gardening at the moment, perhaps that's relevant? I'm very proud of my newly found green fingers

Its all the bloody hot tubs and paddling pools that have sprung up everywhere. Also lots of power washing driveways, roofs (2 roofs done this week in my street), cars,etc

It's not either/or

All consumers (industrial, agricultural, commercial, domestic) need to be bearing down to avoid wasting water. That some consumers will already have done everything they can already, does not negate the need for the message to be sent to the mass audience

And that's also somewhat unrelated to the companies improving their infrastructure and systems. That can, should (and, I think, is) happening in parallel

I'm really interested as to what is prompting this spike in demand. Water companies are claiming it is because of lockdown, but I'm not sure exactly why

Eh? Hot tubs and pools are in great demand. The weather's been mint since Easter, more people and kids at home constantly than usual. You really can't join the dots?

Yes there was loads of rain at the beginning of the year, but there has hardly been any rain for the last 3 months and it has been unusually warm (more watering plants, more paddling pools etc). I think they are just planning ahead by asking customers to kurb their usage, as the rest of the year looks dry too.

Perhaps increased usage is linked to lots growing veg/fruit in lockdown?

We just had another text. This time saying "please only use water for essential uses like washing, drinking and cooking for now."

Are they trying to tell me it's going to run out tonight?
Not sure what else I'd use water for, other than drinking, cooking, washing though!

Watering garden, sprinklers, paddling pool, hot tub

Yes I think it's ridiculous. It's been so dry, the garden needs watering. They earn a stack of money for selling me water. So they can sort it out. I don't "waste" it on a big bath or shower. And yes. Here all the time so obviously am using more water than if I spent 12 hours a day going to the toilet etc. at work.

the garden needs watering (food does not actually magically appear in Waitrose, and flowers are nice) The lawn does not.

the car does not need a wash. Sprinklers are a terrible way to water. Paddling pool doesn't use much. Hot tub probably does due to the germ load.

Maybe everyone is actually washing their hands now? Dread to think what they were doing before.

Not either or.
We should all be using less of everything, including water.
The water companies should be fixing leaks.
No good implying there's no point conserving water unless the companies do their bit first. That's like saying there's no point recycling or reducing one's carbon footprint unless others lead the way.

It was the wettest February on record in the UK this year. Surely that should last us all year?

*AIBU to think they should work on the 30-50% of water they lose from the system every year instead of harassing 'customers'?
*
It's not either/or, they need to (and are) doing both. Running a water company takes a huge amount of capital investment but, believe it or not, the money only goes so far and has to be prioritised according to need. Ofwat as the water regulator also has a huge amount of sway in terms of the financial drivers that are promoted for each AMP period. Leakage is a big focus for the next AMP/5 years.

FWIW I have no garden or balcony, so I don't use sprinklers or hosepipe anyway!
Plus we all turn off the tap while brushing teeth etc, don't waste water wherever we can.

Then I wouldn't worry OP, seems you're not their target demographic. Just ignore the messages

Of course lockdown is causing big problems. Everyone and their cat seems to have bought either a hot tub or a paddling pool of some sort. They need filling. Children are home all day playing in the garden so they'll be muddy, sweaty and sticky from suncream and sweat and will need daily showers/baths.

I'm in Cumbria - the wettest county in the country and we've had maybe 5 hours of rain in total since March. The fact that it rained loads in February is irrelevant if the levels haven't been topped up since. The reservoirs are low and the hot weather won't be helping.

Then I wouldn't worry OP, seems you're not their target demographic
I know @rottiemum88 - it's you lot with your hottubs, huge lawns, and fleets of cars!