Hose pipe ban rant
11 June 2006, 03:03 PM
#1
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Hose pipe ban rant
Thames Water's hose pipe ban is really getting on my t*ts now!
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the environment and the problems we face in society (as a household we do our bit - being careful with water (and we're metered), recycle glass, tin, paper and card) but the existing TW hose pipe ban is flawed in my opinion.
The garden I'm not fussed about. All I want to do is wash my car (and the wife's) with a minimum of fuss -- and water! I've always used a hose pipe to soften dirt at the beginning and then rinse the cars down. A hose (with adjustable nozzle) is great because you can focus the water where you want it and use only as much as you need to. I for one don't like to turn my driveway into a swimming pool.
But no. I now have to use buckets of water to do the same thing -- using a sponge to save me tossing the entire bucket over the car, but I still end up using more water than I want to because I can't control it properly.
As if that wasn't bad enough, I popped into B&Q today to buy a new lawnmower. I spotted their pressure washer section which had little adverts advising that you can still legally use pressure washers during hose pipe bans (because they typically use 40% less water, yadda yadda). I pick up a cheapy JUST so I can use a nozzle spray again... but when I get it home and check with Thames Water... nope, it's still not allowed because of its intended use (i.e. private car washing).
So here I am... forced to use more water than I need to/want to (buckets) so I can stay legal, a victim of advertising (B&Q) although the pressure washer may still come in handy, and required to sit back and accept TW's leaky infrastructure, the fact a neighbour can fill up their swimming pool (!), and that I could jet wash my pathway legally because it was dusty or had a muddy foot print on it.
Rant over. Feel better already.
Jonts.
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the environment and the problems we face in society (as a household we do our bit - being careful with water (and we're metered), recycle glass, tin, paper and card) but the existing TW hose pipe ban is flawed in my opinion.
The garden I'm not fussed about. All I want to do is wash my car (and the wife's) with a minimum of fuss -- and water! I've always used a hose pipe to soften dirt at the beginning and then rinse the cars down. A hose (with adjustable nozzle) is great because you can focus the water where you want it and use only as much as you need to. I for one don't like to turn my driveway into a swimming pool.
But no. I now have to use buckets of water to do the same thing -- using a sponge to save me tossing the entire bucket over the car, but I still end up using more water than I want to because I can't control it properly.
As if that wasn't bad enough, I popped into B&Q today to buy a new lawnmower. I spotted their pressure washer section which had little adverts advising that you can still legally use pressure washers during hose pipe bans (because they typically use 40% less water, yadda yadda). I pick up a cheapy JUST so I can use a nozzle spray again... but when I get it home and check with Thames Water... nope, it's still not allowed because of its intended use (i.e. private car washing).
So here I am... forced to use more water than I need to/want to (buckets) so I can stay legal, a victim of advertising (B&Q) although the pressure washer may still come in handy, and required to sit back and accept TW's leaky infrastructure, the fact a neighbour can fill up their swimming pool (!), and that I could jet wash my pathway legally because it was dusty or had a muddy foot print on it.
Rant over. Feel better already.
Jonts.
11 June 2006, 03:13 PM
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I was wondering if you have those presher wasters - Kartcher and the likes, can you still use them if you hook them up to a(several) water butts? does this get round a hose pipe ban?
11 June 2006, 04:44 PM
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Originally Posted by jonesting
set up a car valeting company.hey presto.you can clean your car,and others,if you bother to advertise it............you know what i mean.
11 June 2006, 05:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Jonty
But no. I now have to use buckets of water to do the same thing -- using a sponge to save me tossing the entire bucket over the car, but I still end up using more water than I want to because I can't control it properly.
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11 June 2006, 06:09 PM
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I think we are all going to have to accept that water is a precious commodity and that you have to conserve it.
I've lived in Oz, if you think it's bad over here, you ought to go over there.
I've lived in Oz, if you think it's bad over here, you ought to go over there.
11 June 2006, 06:11 PM
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Originally Posted by my cossy
ive got a valeting business in the leics area ( ban not in force yet ) however am i still aloud to do valeting if we get a water ban does anyone know this
11 June 2006, 06:13 PM
#11
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Drive your car into the swimming pool you have just legally filled!!!!
Pisses me right off too!! Why can you fill a swimming pool? Well simply money - they pay to fill a swimming pool and wouldn't have to pay if they were not allowed to!!
Stinks IMHO!!
Pete
Pisses me right off too!! Why can you fill a swimming pool? Well simply money - they pay to fill a swimming pool and wouldn't have to pay if they were not allowed to!!
Stinks IMHO!!
Pete
11 June 2006, 06:34 PM
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No hose pipe ban here in mid Dorset, we've had a pump on for three days pumping water from a well on our property just to water the garden.........
Washed four cars this morning with a hosepipe too.....
Washed four cars this morning with a hosepipe too.....
11 June 2006, 06:36 PM
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We hear it all the time - There's a water shortage !
4/5 of the world is covered in water and the icecaps are melting.
How can there be a shortage ?? Scare mongers.
Solution - build the biggest desalination plant in the world. Unlimited supply of water.
Job done.
4/5 of the world is covered in water and the icecaps are melting.
How can there be a shortage ?? Scare mongers.
Solution - build the biggest desalination plant in the world. Unlimited supply of water.
Job done.
11 June 2006, 06:40 PM
#14
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They 'could' just fix the leeks they have that lose millions of gallons a minute!!! 
But, no, Mr Smith should not be allowed to wash his car properly .... however, he can go to a car wash and let that use up far more water!!
Pete
But, no, Mr Smith should not be allowed to wash his car properly .... however, he can go to a car wash and let that use up far more water!!
Pete
11 June 2006, 07:05 PM
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Kinda unfair we aint had a hose pipe in stoke on trent so just had the hose pipe out, to wash my classic wrx... however according to the news we will have one in place as from next week eek dirty car it will have be!
11 June 2006, 07:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Gixerman
oh, to be able to wash the car with a bucket!......I live near Gatwick and we've now got a drought order, so illegal to wash your car even with only a bucket!!!!!!
11 June 2006, 08:41 PM
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OK, low water levels etc, hose pipe ban etc.....
But.... don't we pay for a service, i.e. the supply of water, as and when required, so if there has to be a restriction on the supply, due predominately to the amount of water lost through underground pipe fractures and leaks not being fixed by the water companies, then lets have a rebate on what we pay to reflect the reduced service??????
Liam
But.... don't we pay for a service, i.e. the supply of water, as and when required, so if there has to be a restriction on the supply, due predominately to the amount of water lost through underground pipe fractures and leaks not being fixed by the water companies, then lets have a rebate on what we pay to reflect the reduced service??????
Liam
11 June 2006, 10:15 PM
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This country needs to take a look at the way people in Texas manage their water. They have a very clever system in place (rota system), it means that people have to work together and do their bit - but in return they get fairly relaxed rules considering their lack of H2O.
http://www.planotx.org/water/
http://www.planotx.org/water/
11 June 2006, 10:23 PM
#21
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top price house's, top price for beer infact top price everything and no water thank god i dont live down souffff 
11 June 2006, 10:29 PM
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I live in North London so the ban is in force but I just use a bucket, takes longer and uses more water but at least the car is clean and legal...
12 June 2006, 08:50 AM
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Originally Posted by D3MAN
Is that right ? I live near gatwick about four miles away and I think you can still use a bucket and sponge, well I am anyway, feel free to put me right.
12 June 2006, 11:03 AM
#26
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Yep perhaps the water companies should use their massive profits to build some of these http://www.water-technology.net/projects/israel/ in the UK.
Originally Posted by graeme.
We hear it all the time - There's a water shortage !
4/5 of the world is covered in water and the icecaps are melting.
How can there be a shortage ?? Scare mongers.
Solution - build the biggest desalination plant in the world. Unlimited supply of water.
Job done.
4/5 of the world is covered in water and the icecaps are melting.
How can there be a shortage ?? Scare mongers.
Solution - build the biggest desalination plant in the world. Unlimited supply of water.
Job done.
12 June 2006, 11:18 AM
#27
Originally Posted by graeme.
4/5 of the world is covered in water and the icecaps are melting.
How can there be a shortage ?? Scare mongers.
Solution - build the biggest desalination plant in the world. Unlimited supply of water.
Job done.
How can there be a shortage ?? Scare mongers.
Solution - build the biggest desalination plant in the world. Unlimited supply of water.
Job done.
The majority of freshwater is beyond our reach, locked into polar snow and ice. (which melts in to salt water oceans!)
Less than 1% of freshwater is usable, amounting to only 0.01% of the Earth’s total water.
Info taken from here
12 June 2006, 11:27 AM
#28
Energy use requirements for desalination plants are high.
For example, an estimated 50 million kWh/yr would be required for full-time operation of the City of Santa Barbara's desalination plant to produce 7,500 AF/yr of water. In contrast, the energy needed to pump 7,500 AF/yr of water from the Colorado River Aqueduct or the State Water Project to the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California is 15 to 26 million kWh/yr. These energy requirements may be compared to the energy use of a small- to medium-sized industrial facility (such as a large refinery, small steel mill, or large computer center) which uses 75,000 to 100,000 kWh/yr.
Info obtained from here
For example, an estimated 50 million kWh/yr would be required for full-time operation of the City of Santa Barbara's desalination plant to produce 7,500 AF/yr of water. In contrast, the energy needed to pump 7,500 AF/yr of water from the Colorado River Aqueduct or the State Water Project to the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California is 15 to 26 million kWh/yr. These energy requirements may be compared to the energy use of a small- to medium-sized industrial facility (such as a large refinery, small steel mill, or large computer center) which uses 75,000 to 100,000 kWh/yr.
Info obtained from here
12 June 2006, 11:56 AM
#29
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Ah but what about using solar and wind power to generate the electricity for the plants?
Originally Posted by SirFozzalot
Energy use requirements for desalination plants are high.
For example, an estimated 50 million kWh/yr would be required for full-time operation of the City of Santa Barbara's desalination plant to produce 7,500 AF/yr of water. In contrast, the energy needed to pump 7,500 AF/yr of water from the Colorado River Aqueduct or the State Water Project to the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California is 15 to 26 million kWh/yr. These energy requirements may be compared to the energy use of a small- to medium-sized industrial facility (such as a large refinery, small steel mill, or large computer center) which uses 75,000 to 100,000 kWh/yr.
Info obtained from here
For example, an estimated 50 million kWh/yr would be required for full-time operation of the City of Santa Barbara's desalination plant to produce 7,500 AF/yr of water. In contrast, the energy needed to pump 7,500 AF/yr of water from the Colorado River Aqueduct or the State Water Project to the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California is 15 to 26 million kWh/yr. These energy requirements may be compared to the energy use of a small- to medium-sized industrial facility (such as a large refinery, small steel mill, or large computer center) which uses 75,000 to 100,000 kWh/yr.
Info obtained from here
12 June 2006, 12:09 PM
#30
Originally Posted by HOWY
Ah but what about using solar and wind power to generate the electricity for the plants?