UK Drought?

[Dos_Box]

As I type this I'm on a Pendalino somewhere in south Staffordshire en-route to London tehn Heathrow, and I've noticed a lot of dried up ponds and streams in the fields. I know we in Lancashire have had little or no rain since mid May, and several big lakes-resovoirs in Cumbria are running at about 60%. So what's the situation like in your neck of the wood? Damp or drought?

[36Degrees]

We're served by Severn Trent and traditionally they have declared a drought if it hasn't rained for 2 minutes. However, I live about 5 minutes drive from the Lincolnshire border where I think they have Anglian water. I remember several years ago when ST had imposed a hosepipe ban and were also discussing other measures that they were considering introducing that Anglian made a statement along the lines of "if it stays like this for another 6 weeks then we may have to discuss the likelihood of a hosepipe ban"! Most in the area were of the opinion that ST should spend a portion of their profits on stopping leaks then we could be in the same position as our close neighbours...

[Gatt]

Been hearing on the news the the North West may be about tio get a hosepipe ban, and there have been loads of ads from United Utilities about conserving water!

Apparently this is the longest dry spell since the 1920's!!

[john]

Yup I've heard that were risking a hosepipe ban Again if they fixed some leaks we would be much better off!

[LosOjos]

It always amazes me that we seem to have a hosepipe ban every time we have a dry couple of weeks, yet the Spaniards manage for a lot longer!

[Devontechie]

Yeah have just seen that the North West maybe having a hosepipe ban... BBC News - Water company may impose hosepipe ban

 

Here in the Devon, SWW have said that it is unlikely that there will be a nice for a hosepipe ban BBC News - Summer hosepipe ban "unlikely" South West Water says

[TechMonkey]

I don't understand at all. So after the snow and one of the wettest winters they are saying there isn't enough water? Or the wrong kind? I know in our area there is a huge crack in the bottom of one of the reservoirs that isn't being fixed as it would cost a lot. But they keep putting prices up to try and get people to save water! Bets on management bonuses though? Grrrr, so annoyed I can't write more than simple sentences!!

[Guest Guest]

Well we used to have a shed load of industry which needed massive reservoirs. Thats all gone, but atleast we never have hosepipe bans

[Andrew_C]

Been bone dry here for sometime. Not heard any talk (yet) of restrictions.

[buzzard]

I believe that the North West gets hit first as most of it's reserves are in the form of surface stores (reservoirs) as opposed to the rest og the UK that uses ground water. FYI the Belmont res (Wards AKA Blue Lagoon is a private mill pond and not the water boards!)

[cookie_monster]

I was speaking with a friend the other night who works for the environment agency in the North West, he said it's pretty bad all staff are now banned from washing any work vehicles and a hosepipe ban is imminent apparently.

[sidewinder]

It always amazes me that we seem to have a hosepipe ban every time we have a dry couple of weeks, yet the Spaniards manage for a lot longer!

 

Tbf if I remember rightly Spain does have massive problems with water shortages in the hottest areas, they have to transport it over from another part of the country or abroad

[SteveBentley]

I believe Haweswater in the lake district was built to provide water for Manchester

[CHR1S]

Its all tosh to me... Like it was said before, all that snow? And in the last 2 weeks we have had monsoon like downpours that lasted for hours (I was playing golf at the time - grrrr)

 

So I have a sneaky feeling that there is a lot of loss going somewhere.

[srochford]

It always amazes me that we seem to have a hosepipe ban every time we have a dry couple of weeks, yet the Spaniards manage for a lot longer!

 

This is the first time in 14 years that a hosepipe ban has been considered for the North West (I could say it's all because the Tories are back; no hosepipe bans under Labour but that would be silly :-)) so it's hardly "every time we have a dry couple of weeks"

 

The big deal with the Spanish (and many other countries) is that they're more careful with their water - in the UK we wast vast quantities of it (and I'm not just talking about leaking pipes). I'm sure they do wash their cars but you see far fewer people out in the street with hoses washing down cars, for example.

 

Although some industrial usage has gone down, I think other use has gone up (how much water is needed to wash potatoes and carrots for the supermarkets, for example?)

[LosOjos]

This is the first time in 14 years that a hosepipe ban has been considered for the North West (I could say it's all because the Tories are back; no hosepipe bans under Labour but that would be silly :-)) so it's hardly "every time we have a dry couple of weeks"

 

The big deal with the Spanish (and many other countries) is that they're more careful with their water - in the UK we wast vast quantities of it (and I'm not just talking about leaking pipes). I'm sure they do wash their cars but you see far fewer people out in the street with hoses washing down cars, for example.

 

Although some industrial usage has gone down, I think other use has gone up (how much water is needed to wash potatoes and carrots for the supermarkets, for example?)

 

Fair enough to your comments RE the Spanish being more careful with their water generally, but here in the midlands it seems we have a hosepipe ban for a couple of weeks every year! (I can't quote exact figures and statistics, but it certainly hasn't been 14 years)

[skunk]

About 50% of all the water is lost in transit........and yet my bills and their profits go up??

[sted]

About 50% of all the water is lost in transit........and yet my bills and their profits go up??

 

you can hardly blame a private company for wanting to make money thats what they exist to do at the end of the day

[LosOjos]

you can hardly blame a private company for wanting to make money thats what they exist to do at the end of the day

 

Dare I say it? Yeah why not...

 

All households are legally required to have a water supply, therefore shouldn't it be the governments responsibility to provide it and not a network of private companies? Oh wait, it was, until the Tories came along...

[LeMarchand]

you can hardly blame a private company for wanting to make money thats what they exist to do at the end of the day

 

But I can blame Thatcher and her evil minions for privatising the water companies.

[sted]

But I can blame Thatcher and her evil minions for privatising the water companies.

 

well yes some things should be state run but its far too late to change that there is no way a govenment could buy back public transport/gas/leccy/water/possibly phones which shouldnt of been sold in the first place

[skunk]

you can hardly blame a private company for wanting to make money thats what they exist to do at the end of the day

 

In which case I would like to change supplier please to one who is environmentally more aware, is putting in place measures to reduce the loss and cares a little more about the customer thus the market place becomes the driver of improvements. Oh wait its a monopoly, I cannot change supplier and instead of fixing their problems they decide to drain the lakes instead.......more environmental goodness.

[Gatt]

or we could all just be a bit more careful with how we use water......

[PeteM]

Not sure what the situation is in Yorkshire but wasn't there a big flap a couple of years ago about the amount of water wasted thru broken pipes/leaks that weren't being repaired by the water companies?

[Rydra]

And all this, from an island.... in an ocean... Reknowned for it's rain....

 

Also RE water usage/wastage: The spanish use just as much water. Since they get even less rain at times, they have to spend their time throwing water on the green bits to keep it green.