David Lock

Yeah it comes down from some white fluffy things floating up in the sky. Then it's nicked by a company and sold to me

Chip Sengravy

err..OK!

Your pond BTW..why not set something up to catch rainwater? Not with a butt, that stagnates. Maybe cobble something up to fire rainwater straight into the pond? Excess from the pond ( which will be mixed ) could overflow to the drain? My pond is a puddle by comparison, but it doesn't take an awful lot of rain to raise the level significantly, and thats with no additional catchment...surface are of mine is probably 3 m sq.

Next pond I do will have something like this, but I'll pump excess to the garden, them flowers love that fishy waste!

David Lock

It mostly just surrounded by flat lawn so wouldn't be too easy in practice (aside from roof drainage) but there is a reason why rain water is not too good for ponds but I have forgotten what it is So it really needs clean fresh water to try and keep it in shape. Tomorrow I am adding a large extra settlement tank (large wheelie bin) adjacent to the filter to see if that helps keep the water clearer.

In fact the "wheelie" bin will have a waste drain which will feed over a couple of flower beds. As you say the plants certainly thrive on greeny sludge

Matteeboy

Yes.

Charged for a year for sewerage - we have a sceptic tank.
Took me a while to realise they were charging it though - got it straight back - the cheeky buggers.

Butty

iTrader: (2)

They are lying so and sos.
Ring them again and threaten them to report them to OFWAT/WATERVOICE.
I have had to do this with my last couple of South Water customers.
They have no reason to refuse a request for a sewerage rebate.

Nick

StickyMicky

Meter here, around £15 a month, not to bad i thought?


no idea what the carwash costs in water as i dont pay that bill, but the meter spins around like a time machine

David Lock

Interesting Nick. Can I ask what you mean when you speak about "your customers"?

Since your last post I had a long chat with a senior case officer at the Consumer Council for Water in High Holborn (0845 758 1658). They told me that Southern Water are within their rights NOT to provide a rebate to a householder like me. They might do it as a concession but this was unlikely. The Council sent me some bumph about surface water drainage but this was not really relevant to my request which relates to treatment costs of foul water.

It does seem odd to me that a private company has the right to demand a payment (in advance!) for a service that they don't actually provide. I can understand that it is easier for them to manage their customers this way but that is not the point.

I have written to Southern Water suggesting that they put a meter on my garden standpipe as that would measure all water not returned to the sewer system. I'm quite sure they will come back and say it needs a team of 3 to spend a day laying a new supply and meter at a cost of £zillions but that is bollox.

I would be fascinated in learning more about your own dealings with Southern. d

Sonic'

Not sure on the m sq of my pond, but on a hot day the water can drop quite a bit, on a day of good rain, it will fill up very quickly

Chip Sengravy

That's cos the fish get thirsty

Sonic'

Butty

iTrader: (2)

David,
Watervoice a la CCW have an office devoted to the dealings of each water company to give more accurate advice than Holborn, so there is one who can comment about Sou. Water.
I run a business that amongst other sevice offer ways of reducing water charges by auditing bills, reducing leakage and lowering water use - though mainly to industrial water users.
When I first contacted Sou. Water last year on behalf of a client for what is a standard application process with other water companies, they refused to even acknowledge that a sewerage claim could be made - to which I kicked up fuss.
Nick