Okay so I’m reading the local newspaper and see an advert from Thames Water reminding us that England is in crisis because of the drought! Thames Water which supplies the area I live in imposed a hose pipe and sprinkler ban on April 3rd 2006. Anyone who is caught breaking this ban could face a fine of up to £1000.

Thames Water has now applied to the government for a drought order to further restrict the use of non essential water.

If granted under the Drought Direction 1991 the following activities will be banned under the order:

(a) the watering, by hosepipe, sprinkler or other similar apparatus, of:-

• gardens (other than market gardens), including lawns, verges and other landscaped areas;
• allotments;
• parks; or
• any natural or artificial surfaces used for sport or recreation, whether publicly or privately owned;

(b) the filling (whether wholly or partially) of privately owned swimming pools, other than:-

• pools designed to be used in the course of a programme of medical treatment;
• the filling of pools where necessary in the course of their construction;

(c) the filling (whether wholly or partially) of ornamental ponds other than fish ponds;

(d) the operation of mechanical vehicle washers, whether automatic or not;

(e) the washing of road vehicles, boats, railway rolling stock or aircraft for any reason other than safety or hygiene;

(f) the cleaning of the exterior of buildings, other than windows;

(g) the cleaning of windows by hosepipe, sprinkler or other similar apparatus;

(h) the cleaning of industrial premises or plant for any reason other than safety or hygiene;

(i) the operation of ornamental fountains or cascades, including those where water is recycled;

(j) the operation, in relation to any building or other premises, of any cistern which flushes automatically, during any period when those premises are wholly or substantially unoccupied.

Now I live right on a lake and since the original hose pipe ban was put in place I have never seen the water level so high. At one point I was beginning to wonder whether we were going to need sandbags put outside the house to stop the flooding. We are now almost at the end of July which has seen the highest recorded temperatures ever in the UK and even now although the water level has gone down it is still quite high which makes me think where has all the water gone to cause this drought.

Thames Water’s advert in the paper it warns “Using a bucket and sponge to wash your car instead of a hosepipe could save you a £1,000 fine and 125 litres of water”.

What they don’t tell you is according to OFWAT Thames Water has the highest water leakage figure of all water companies loosing 895 million litres of water a day, 253 litres of water per property per day. So if Thames Water fixed all their leaks that would be enough water to wash your car twice everyday!

Now I am not particularly bothered about the hosepipe ban. I’m not a keen gardener and I don’t wash my car (for £5.00 you can drive down the road and have it washed and dried by hand for you) but as customers we are forced to conserve water facing huge fines if we don’t because Thames Water can’t fix their leaks quick enough. Is that fair?

Posted in Rants & Raves