Well it’s here. Despite living in one of the wettest areas of Europe, we’re going to have a hosepipe ban from 6am on Friday 9th July 2010. How marvellous to know that despite not being able to keep the water coming as usual, United Futilities Utilities, managed to make over £400 million pounds profit. They spent £29 million on reducing leakage. So their priorities are in order!
Their spokesman was on Radio 4 earlier – he sounds like a good company man. You know the type, you ring up with a complaint and they trot out irrelevant answers from the manual which only serves to infuriate you.
Anyway, you can’t use a hosepipe for your allotment, vegetable plot or garden, or washing the car. I understand you can jet-wash the patio and keep the swimming pool topped up. That thumping sound is my head banging on the desk.
Other uses that I understand are legal are hosing down a caravan or motor cycle – perhaps I could get hold of a motorbike and pop it amongst the potatoes! You can also hose down a dog or cat. Our cat would disagree.
There’s an frustrating lack of information on UU’s web site – plenty of generic nonsense excusing their failure and saying how they’ve followed Ofwat’s rules. Ofwat hah! Another chocolate fireguard.
And don’t start me on DEFRA – after aminopyralid contaminated manure they made it plain that big business money means more than the environment and the ruination of thousands of allotments and vegetable plots.
More Information on Hosepipe Ban:
Efficient Watering Video – a two minute video by me
Coping with a Hosepipe Ban – article that may help you get by
My sympathies with you and your hosepipe ban. We had the same situation ‘down south’ a few years ago. I was aware of neighbours laying a patio, so they could jet wash it and ‘accidentally’ spraying water on their lawn.
Your comment about your cat made me laugh though. Perhaps you could get together with other friends and neighbours, round up local dogs and cats and move them between plots, washing them as you go? Or buy a paddling pool (sort of a swimming pool, innit), put it on the plot and let the water spill over the sides.
Would it be legal to site one of those above ground 5m diam swimming pools that you can buy for about a ton on the highest part of the plot, fill that up with a hosepipe, then siphon off as required?
worthy of note is that blue badge holders and registered disabled are exempt from the hosepipe ban and are probably not aware of this.
Philip – I wouldn’t like to be the test case in court!
Are you sure Jon? I think the legislation goes back to 1954 or 5 and wasn’t very disabled friendly in those days. Hope you’re right!
Can anyone recomend veg seed to plant now that will cope really well if this ban goes on all summer. Am off to buy some more compost to remulch my veg bed but Ive got a big gap to fill in my brassica bed. going to be lugging a lot of watering cans,
I contacted UU on Thursday last week via twitter.This was my message
‘@unitedutilities Is it possible to fill a watering can from a hosepipe, thus extending the source pipe’
The response was
‘@adamspaul Yes you can use it to fill your watering can. Thanks.’
A bit of help for anyone who was unaware
If you want to avoid a hosepipe ban, get your own water well.
You are allowed to pump up to 20,000 litres per day even if a hose pipe ban is in force.
No licences or permissions are required.
Mark