Hosepipe Ban
by John Harrison on Wednesday, 7th July 2010Well 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.
Anyway – whatever I think about the ethics of selling water monopolies – you can get a thousand pound fine if the neighbour dobs you in for using your hosepipe. I suppose I shouldn't moan too much, after all the first monopolies were sold to support Henry VIII. So it wasn't without precedent…
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
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