How stupid is the water ban

Originally Posted by Osem

Yes, you have the hassle of proving you're innocent.

This is the UK for gods sake innocence is presumed untill otherwise proven ....isn't it?

Does make one wonder how much money and recourses will be used enforcing the ban and how much the total bill for that will be ,will the water companies start issuing fines to boost their flagging profits?

[nomadking]

Guardian

Water companies say they will be reliant on reports by members of the public for breaches of the ban, and anyone found breaking the legal order could receive a £1,000 fine.

[Angua]

My gripe is Londoners pay less for their un-metered water than we do with Thames Water,.

If they actually repaired pipes there would be far less wasted.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by martyh

This is the UK for gods sake innocence is presumed untill otherwise proven ....isn't it?

Does make one wonder how much money and recourses will be used enforcing the ban and how much the total bill for that will be ,will the water companies start issuing fines to boost their flagging profits?

Yes it is but innocent people get accused, fined and/or brought to court every day. It's still a hassle even if you're cleared or charges are dropped.

It'll be interesting to see what burden of proof the water companies will rely upon if court cases result. I'd imagine they'd issue warnings first then target anyone reported after being warned try to obtain pictures or video footage.

Guardian - Water companies say they will be reliant on reports by members of the public for breaches of the ban, and anyone found breaking the legal order could receive a £1,000 fine.

'Could' being the operative word. I'd imagine there'd be several stages before it got to a fine.

---------- Post added at 12:54 ---------- Previous post was at 12:49 ----------

Originally Posted by nomadking

I have an official exemption, but how will any neighbours know that?From an EmailDo the water usage figures for a hosepipe refer to where it is fully 'open'? Using a spray on a hosepipe to water a garden would use a lot less. Which figure are the water companies using for their estimates of savings of water usage?

They won't so you may get reported and have to prove your exemption in the same way that genuine Blue Badge holders sometimes have to do when parking. Nobody's going to knock on your door and demand £1000 just like that. There are many factors which govern how much water things like hoses and showers use. The advice has to be general and is based on average figures for illustrative purposes. The point is to try to alter people's behaviour to save water before things get really and standpipes are required. Hosepipes and sprinklers use a lot of water and so are the main focus of the ban.

[mertle]

one solution is rain harvesting.

We not just talking buts for gardening but full system turn to drinking water, toilet flushing showers.

http://www.rainwaterharvesting.co.uk/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainwater_harvesting

http://www.oas.org/DSD/publications/...ea59e/ch10.htm

Advantages

· Rainwater harvesting provides a source of water at the point where it is needed. It is owner operated and managed.

· It provides an essential reserve in times of emergency and/or breakdown of public water supply systems, particularly during natural disasters.


· The construction of a rooftop rainwater catchment system is simple, and local people can easily be trained to build one, minimizing its cost.


· The technology is flexible. The systems can be built to meet almost any requirements. Poor households can start with a single small tank and add more when they can afford them.


· It can improve the engineering of building foundations when cisterns are built as part of the substructure of the buildings, as in the case of mandatory cisterns.


· The physical and chemical properties of rainwater may be superior to those of groundwater or surface waters that may have been subjected to pollution, sometimes from unknown sources.


· Running costs are low.


· Construction, operation, and maintenance are not labor-intensive.

Disadvantages

· The success of rainfall harvesting depends upon the frequency and amount of rainfall; therefore, it is not a dependable water source in times of dry weather or prolonged drought.

· Low storage capacities will limit rainwater harvesting so that the system may not be able to provide water in a low rainfall period. Increased storage capacities add to construction and operating costs and may make the technology economically unfeasible, unless it is subsidized by government.


· Leakage from cisterns can cause the deterioration of load bearing slopes.


· Cisterns and storage tanks can be unsafe for small children if proper access protection is not provided.


· Possible contamination of water may result from animal wastes and vegetable matter.


· Where treatment of the water prior to potable use is infrequent, due to a lack of adequate resources or knowledge, health risks may result; further, cisterns can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes.


· Rainfall harvesting systems increase construction costs and may have an adverse effect on home ownership. Systems may add 30% to 40% to the cost of a building.


· Rainfall harvesting systems may reduce revenues to public utilities.

We could always filtration dirty waste water back to drink water like they do in space station although people will YUK wont do that.

this link if click top left & right got quite few alternatives.

http://www.oas.org/DSD/publications/....htm#TopOfPage

I always felt we backward nation water from paths go into gutters which got to the sea. A road system which runs to underground storage tanks.

http://www.oas.org/DSD/publications/....htm#TopOfPage

We got snow in scotland yet nowbody thought sending trucks bring it back down south dump it in storage.

[gazzae]

Originally Posted by mertle

We got snow in scotland yet nowbody thought sending trucks bring it back down south dump it in storage.

Er what?

Have you any idea how much snow you need to even get a litre of water?

Originally Posted by mertle

one solution is rain harvesting.

.

doesn't work if it doesn't rain

We got snow in scotland yet nowbody thought sending trucks bring it back down south dump it in storage.

Totally unrealistic and financially un viable

and apart from that it's water the south want not snow

[Osem]

Originally Posted by gazzae

Er what?

Have you any idea how much snow you need to even get a litre of water?

Clearly not! Or the vast cost of transporting any significant amount of snow, ice or water any great distance.


Trucks bringing snow to London from Scotland.....

[mertle]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Nothing's stopping you from doing it yourself though I wouldn't try to purify run-off for drinking purposes. Toilet flushing is certainly an area where waste (gray) and rain water could be used to good effect especially if you're on a meter as we are.

The real problem in this crowded country is having a large enough tank or cistern on your property to cover the drought periods like now. Putting anything underground is going to be expensive.

Unfortunately cant where I live .

I would assume to drink would need filtration unit as it said in links it could get contaminated.

gazzae we all trying to brain storm se if there any ways we can make things less of issue.

alot ideas may not be pratical but just thought on add hoc the crazy situation scotland it snows but elsewhere got drought.

[Taf]

I overheard 2 blokes discussing the water shortage this morning, and one made what he obviously regarded as a well thought-out statement:

"They just need a big pipeline from Scotland to Essex, no need to pump it as it's all downhill from Scotland to Essex."

[Osem]

The mind boggles.....

[mertle]

Originally Posted by Taf

I overheard 2 blokes discussing the water shortage this morning, and one made what he obviously regarded as a well thought-out statement:

"They just need a big pipeline from Scotland to Essex, no need to pump it as it's all downhill from Scotland to Essex."

Although he has a point if essex below the sea level of scotland but small matter other areas would be up hill.

Still need to use a pump stations to increase preasure to get it to essex.

---------- Post added at 16:57 ---------- Previous post was at 16:49 ----------

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

You only have to think of what birds do on your roof to get the picture.

Even if you could move water in say supertankers, the shear number needed daily would be a logistical nightmare apart from the expense. The problem is that we use water like it's going out of fashion. Bringing in meters for all in the southe-east will help make people more aware of what a valuable resource water is and not to waste it.

Maybe a period of stand-pipes, when every drop has to be carried back, will bring it crushing home to the wastrels.

indeed but filtering water which comes out of toilet already happens in some countries turned back into drinking water.

it probably wood be expensive before the oil industry built pipe from humber to hemel hempstead it was all transported by fleet of tanker lorries. I wonder how much it cost them to do it this way.

Another solution link each resevior to each one be able to pump it refil when low from one area to other.

It would cost but dont think any solution cheap

Originally Posted by mertle

Although he has a point if essex below the sea level of scotland but small matter other areas would be up hill.

Still need to use a pump stations to increase preasure to get it to essex.

No he doesn't ,any kind of pipe line from scotland/north England with enough fall on it to flow to the south of England would have such a head of water by the time it reached the south it would be like putting Niagra Falls in a 20" pipe

[danielf]

How stupid is the water ban

I didn't realise water was being banned. What will happen when it rains? Will a ticket be issued to God?

[Arthurgray50@blu]

In the area's where you live, count how many car washers there are that are using pressure guns.

Most of these places are opening up all the time, some of them could be illegal traders as a form of making money, yes there is a law stating that cars must have clean VRM plates and lights, but is it fair that these car washers are throwing away gallons of preceouse water while will be have to abide by the law.