To not stick to the hosepipe ban

[inyourheads]

Because no other fucker has to?

We’ve been told no more watering our plants or using the hosepipe from midnight tonight. However, since this announcement:

• A local business has confirmed their splash pad will be operational everyday this week from 8am to 8pm. How many millions of litres of water will that use?
• The local water park has also confirmed they will be open. Using more water and wasting more water.
• The local golf course has reassured members that they are able to keep watering the greens, so playing experiences won’t be compromised!
• Local parks will continue to be watered to “provide a green space for everyone”.
• Car washes etc in the local area are still allowed to operate.

I feel like it’s totally ridiculous that all that is allowed to happen, but I can’t use my hosepipe!

I am rather fond of Scotland.

Indeed, it appears that some people here are quite prepared to report others to the utility companies. In another discussion, several individuals even suggested they would happily keep watch on their neighbours and report them accordingly. I described them, somewhat wryly, as the “Water Police”.

I have never paid for a TV licence.

@Waffflyyes I think the main reason people stick to it if because they’re worried someone will dob them in. No one has ever been fined for using a hosepipe during a ban. They do not have the authority to issue an on the spot fine and would have to take people through the courts which would cost them far more than the 1k fine. They rely on people to grass on their neighbours, they might send a letter but apart from that not much else they can do.

So… a bit Covid-y then? Do people actually get fined? Who’s wandering about checking gardens?

I wouldn't dob someone in for using a hosepipe during a ban. I'm not petty. Unless I knew they had an exemption I would privately judge them though.

And how on earth would you know if someone has an exemption? People aren't going to tell nosey judgemental neighbours their private business.

😁

To be honest I’ve never really seen anyone care, but I live in a place with such an elderly population that they’re all exempt anyway!

It’s all seasonal tourist businesses. At the end of the day if there was a genuine water shortage they’d have to stop, so why not stop the huge wastes of water first?

plessr try to think logically. The reduction from domestic homes allows them to eek what we have for much longer, ensuring no one is standing at a stand pipe. Yes businesses can continue, as they don’t wish people to lose their jobs, a golf course for example would take months and months to recover. There would be more of an outcry if people lost their jobs, their homes as they lost their jobs, than simply their plants.

i undeetsnd the annoyance, but demanding businesses close is not the answer.

Businesses are typically exempt.

As some PPs have said, to me it’s not the businesses using water that is annoying to me, it’s the leaks left for days or even weeks just losing water and blocking the roads with no urgency from the water company to fix.

And what I think seems a bit unfair round my way is that the council owned splash pads (free for kids) are closed whereas the ones at paid attractions are open so it feels a bit like kids whose parents can’t afford the attraction fees are disadvantaged in not being able to cool off at the splash pad just because of who owns it.

As I mentioned upthread, non essential business use will be the next level of restriction if the situation doesnt improve in some areas.

Why this is not like Covid is that there is a legislative framework already in place for increasing levels of restriction if supplies dwindle beyond a certain point. The Government, the water companies and the regulator are not making this up as they go along, the framework is there, and if specific thresholds are met this is what will happen.

People could lose jobs. Local economies could be affected. We could end up with standpipes. We probably won't, but our collective actions at this point will affect the outcome.

I genuinely don’t care if the golf course takes months to recover. They’ll cope.

I am so sick of this argument along with 'yeah but water companies are wasting loads through leaks' and 'no one else is sticking to it why should i'... it's because we will run out!! Yeah absolutely the water companies should get to grips with leaks but individuals using more water isnt gonna help, surely thats obvious and being smug about it will be of little comfort when the taps run dry.

Business are exempt in most circumstances, whether you agree or not, but just ignoring and flouting the ban is silly and selfish imo.

I hike regularly, and ive seen dry reservoirs, rivers and streams, and other really worrying impacts. Just because you dont make, or agree with the rules doesnt make it ok to ignore them.

I live in area supplied by two water providers, we are not under a hospipe ban but other suppliers customers are, it makes no sense to me.

Well said.

The "why should I" argument is illogical and makes no sense.

Fresh water is currently a finite source in many parts of England and Wales. Selfish people using it just because just make it more difficult for everyone.

Why don't these people vent their wrath at people who are using portable barbecues and starting fires? I live a few miles from the Peak District and my Facebook feed is full of stories about fires caused by these people.

Firefighters are using a lot of water trying to put them out.

So I do have sympathy as the water companies are such jokes they are wasting loads themselves. However a hosepipe ban is because we might literally start running out of water and there would be rolling cut offs, that’s the next option. So we all have to suck it up and put pressure on the government and politicians to do something about the sh*t (sometimes literally) water companies.

I am just old enough to remember standpipes in the street. Trust me, it is not an experience to envy. Not being able to flush the loo for hours, very basic washing facilities. Revolting. I feel very sorry for households in Kent with intermittent services.

So please, protect our water supply. You really don't need to water your garden.

The next stage in restrictions will be car washes and swimming pools and whilst the reservoirs aren't empty they are lower than what they would usually be and rivers, reservoirs and groundwater sources are facing higher demand. We need higher than average rainfall this winter to get our resources back to a normal level.

Our MP has been taking Yorkshire Water to task about their shit show.

The point I made earlier OP is that I don't use 'more water' if I use a hose rather than a watering can in my small back and front garden.

I am always careful about the amount of water I use with the hose.

Using a watering can just means it takes me longer and it is harder on my body, but it makes zero impact on reducing the amount of water used...

Hence why I am saying that it is a completely pointless exercise.

I’m so glad some politicians are!

For you perhaps but thats not the same for everyone and they have to have a way of policing it. A hosepipe ban does reduce water consumption overall, there will always be exceptions but they cannot monitor it on a case by case basis easily.

And we’ll have that. Winter will be as wet as ever.

It really is meaningless.

It seems it only usually reduce consumption by about 5% and I think that people are so pissed off at water companies at this stage that I wonder how many usually law abiding citizens will just ignore it this time.