A brief few days of heavy rain in the UK has been replaced by bright, sunny weather. It may be more chilly than of late but it is still dry. With UK water stocks so low a hosepipe ban has been implemented in many parts of the UK. Such a ban has been in place in some areas for sometime. However as the situation worsens the areas operating a ban have been extended.
According to data collected by hosepipeban.org.uk at least 1 in 3 citizens will choose to ignore the hosepipe ban.
When such a ban is in place it is a case of using buckets and watering cans full of water to clean paths and water outdoor plants. Those with water butts will have some fresh water supplies of their own but most of these are running dry.
Seven water companies are implementing a hosepipe ban as reservoirs dry up.The latest to bring in water restrictions are Thames Water, Southern Water, South East Water, Anglian Water, Sutton and East Surrey, Veolia Central and Veolia South East. These restrictions will affect about 20 million people.
Of the people who responded to a hosepipeban.org.uk survey the majority said they would not inform on neighbours and the like seen breaking the ban. The Environment Agency has said that "most reservoirs are now well below normal levels and river flows are decreasing. All rivers are experiencing lower than normal flows, with two-thirds "exceptionally" low". The agency has however asked that water companies get up to speed with fixing water leaks. The water companies maintain that they are now doing this as fast as they can.
Frighteningly "Water companies across England and Wales leaked more than 3.3 billion litres a day in 2010/11, according to Ofwat, the economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry". Little wonder then that the UK is unable to cope with an extended dry period.
If you are in a hosepipe ban area you can - no longer use a hosepipe for watering a garden, washing cars or boats, hosing down patios and paths, and filling swimming pools, ponds, fountains and paddling pools. This applies to Public parks and allotments also.
OPINION: People may not want to be seen as a "snitch" but water is a precious commodity. If you see a neighbour wasting water washing a car with a hosepipe it would be to your benefit in the long run to report him or her.The fine for flouting the ban could be as much as £1,000.
The improper management of our water supplies is down indirectly to the previous Conservative government. They were happy to privatise every commodity and sold off our Water Board. Each company is now run differently and some are better than others. Likewise some do not preserve the meagre waterstocks we have.
According to data collected by hosepipeban.org.uk at least 1 in 3 citizens will choose to ignore the hosepipe ban.
When such a ban is in place it is a case of using buckets and watering cans full of water to clean paths and water outdoor plants. Those with water butts will have some fresh water supplies of their own but most of these are running dry.
Seven water companies are implementing a hosepipe ban as reservoirs dry up.The latest to bring in water restrictions are Thames Water, Southern Water, South East Water, Anglian Water, Sutton and East Surrey, Veolia Central and Veolia South East. These restrictions will affect about 20 million people.
Of the people who responded to a hosepipeban.org.uk survey the majority said they would not inform on neighbours and the like seen breaking the ban. The Environment Agency has said that "most reservoirs are now well below normal levels and river flows are decreasing. All rivers are experiencing lower than normal flows, with two-thirds "exceptionally" low". The agency has however asked that water companies get up to speed with fixing water leaks. The water companies maintain that they are now doing this as fast as they can.
Frighteningly "Water companies across England and Wales leaked more than 3.3 billion litres a day in 2010/11, according to Ofwat, the economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry". Little wonder then that the UK is unable to cope with an extended dry period.
If you are in a hosepipe ban area you can - no longer use a hosepipe for watering a garden, washing cars or boats, hosing down patios and paths, and filling swimming pools, ponds, fountains and paddling pools. This applies to Public parks and allotments also.
OPINION: People may not want to be seen as a "snitch" but water is a precious commodity. If you see a neighbour wasting water washing a car with a hosepipe it would be to your benefit in the long run to report him or her.The fine for flouting the ban could be as much as £1,000.
The improper management of our water supplies is down indirectly to the previous Conservative government. They were happy to privatise every commodity and sold off our Water Board. Each company is now run differently and some are better than others. Likewise some do not preserve the meagre waterstocks we have.
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