Wasting water in a heatwave. Private schools keeping grounds green with sprinklers..

[ifonlytheydlisten]

I’ve seen this twice now this week whilst everywhere else has bans or people just accepting grass will be hay and water in short supply. Opposite end of spectrum to wild wire concerns and grassland burning near us. Do they have wierd exception? Is it just me that it really winds me up as entitled? It’s made me really annoyed.

Because, as before, state schools aren't doing this. It is so very far from what state schools can afford to do or prioritise, it's laughable.

Ooo look another private school bashing thread

State schools are not businesses whereas private schools are. Part of that includes their grounds being maintained.

Yes of course, what I was responding to was the query about why it was relevant to include in the OP that this is a private school. I was suggesting that state schools wouldn’t do it because they’re under the education authority cosh.

Apparently, you’re exempt first 4wks after laying turf. I’m moving into a new build next month so hoping we will have lots of rain.

Indeed. But the reason people aren't complaining about state schools doing this, only a private school, is because a state school just wouldn't, not because of some vendetta.

Car washers mostly reuse water.

Once it hits the car it gets syphoned off through a catch pot, small reservoir to filters & pumped back at the car.

If they have a private source of water they can.

A lot of private schools have their own water supply and are thus exempt from the ban.

and that may well explain it. Own water source. Can then use to maintain own grounds. Would make sense for some of the larger ones.
The council roundabout and private houses however.. still odd. I recall being in Greenwich a couple of years ago and the whole park being straw. Now it’s everywhere it seems

Indeed. It’s very common for this to be the case for private schools, and not just the larger ones. The amount of water needed to maintaining sports infrastructure and grounds is huge, and hugely expensive. If you have a borehole, however, you can extract 20,000 liters a day for free (more than that requires a license, but it still works out to be a lot cheaper than being on the mains supply).

It’s very unlikely that they’re flouting the ban.

The hosepipe ban is for domestic use only, businesses can carry on using water - so many need it for their livlihood. Private schools are businesses, so they can water whatever they like. Rich privilige yet again.

It’s a useful demonstration of the extent to which they consider the needs of the community vs their own wants, and the values they pass on to their pupils.

I’d see it a bit differently. Most private schools with fields have either a borehole or rainwater collection.

They’ve made provision to avoid straining the mains supply, and because it works out much cheaper.

Schools that haven’t are where we should look for something wrong. Where are the incentives failing such that those choices (good for planet and for budgets) aren’t being made?

It could be of course that they’ve decided that green grass (or any grass) is a luxury their students don’t need. In which case again, is that because the wrong choices are being made by adminstrators or because that’s all the public will pay for.

I don’t think the rules are quite like that.

There is definitely rich privilege. Those children did nothing to earn the fees.

But if you want to abolish rich privilege you need to give away most of your money and move to China (which is at about the world average wealth per head).

The PP’s comment was a bit odd, I agree.

How you jump from sprinklers (which are probably legitimate use from private supply anyway, as you say) to a school teaching social values to children - who in any case are all out of school - is a head-scratcher.

My local comp has a big fireworks display every November. Given MN posters’ yearly accusations of selfishness and environmental and wildlife damage from fireworks I guess we should damn the whole state sector for that.

It put me in mind of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, which, yes, we learned at my minor independent school.

The one that was about not expecting others to bail you out if they made good preparations and you didn’t.

No hose pipe ban in south Yorkshire, been super hot, but no ban that I am aware of

My son's school is watering it's cricket pitch as it's used by the local community too, which is permitted. The rest of the grounds look as brown and dead as everywhere else.

Does that include golf courses? The golf course on the opposite side of town is the only bit of green grass I can see from my house.

I saw an article today suggesting that there will be surge pricing for water - so you pay more in times of drought. It might concentrate the minds of people (nad businesses) who like to use sprinklers on their lawns.

I went past a local golf course on a train today and noticed their grounds were yellow so they are obviously not wasting water so zero requirement for a school, private or otherwise, to do so.

Plus - I thought private schools were charities, not businesses!

They've slapped VAT on them so quite clearly the Labour Party see them.as businesses.

There should definitely be surge pricing for water.

It would also encourage more investment in water infrastructure, including private provision like rainwater storage.

I suppose surge pricing would mean that the well off could water their gardens in the summer

Report them.

Good on them for watering if using water from a bore or private water storage.

Large green patches help keep the temperatures down and help keep trees, insects and birds alive.