Hose pipe Ban

[kizkiz]

We are all being encouraged to be healthier and eat homegrown produce and yet us dedicated gardeners will not be able to use hosepipes on our allotments to keep the produce alive. I only use the watering can in my garden, but this is really not feasible for allotment holders. Filling cans from taps with sufficient water for a whole plot will be a nightmare task and some elderly gardeners may find it too arduous in the heat. Are we supposed to just stand by and watch our future meals die? I am determined to still use the same amount of water on my crops, it will just take me 10 times as long, so where's the sense in that? I feel another letter to my MP coming on....

I read about an exemption for the elderly if you write in and get permission

[Vince G]

No good for me Kizkiz, I'm a spritely 42 year old !!

Luckily one of the allotment taps is located quite near my plot but even so, after a summer of trudging backwards and forwards to the tap with a watering can, I'll feel a hell of a lot older.

Both my neighbours on the allotment are elderly, so perhapsp they could apply for an exemption and give mine a squirt fromtime to time!!

[singleseeder]

Are you permitted to fill a dustbin/water tank on your plot with a hose?

I used to have a tank at the bottom of my garden (in the draught striken south east). I would dip two cans to put on the veg while the hose continually filled it. This was a lot quicker than waiting for cans to fill at the tap and the tank was next to the veg plot so not too far to carry the cans.

[Two_Sheds]

We all probably water our allotments far more than is actually necessary. I've never used a hosepipe in my life. Last spring was a drudge, no rain in April and May just as all the new seedlings were put in, but after they're established they're on their own. No water unless they wilt

How I water in a drought - YouTube

[Davyburns]

Welsh Water (Dwr Cymru) is a not for profit organisation with no shareholders.

In my expierience, non profit companies tend to be the most inefficient of any companies. Look at local authorities. This was how Richard Branson lost the lottery contract to camelot, he declared he would run it on a non profit basis

[Two_Sheds]

It depends how you measure "efficiency" I guess. The banks are very efficient at paying their bosses big bucks ... but terribly deficient at running a bank?

[veggiechicken]

In my expierience, non profit companies tend to be the most inefficient of any companies. Look at local authorities. This was how Richard Branson lost the lottery contract to camelot, he declared he would run it on a non profit basis

I'm not up for a discussion on the rights and wrongs of non-profit making companies. Suffice to say we have plenty of water in Wales.

[Alison]

We are all being encouraged to be healthier and eat homegrown produce and yet us dedicated gardeners will not be able to use hosepipes on our allotments to keep the produce alive. I only use the watering can in my garden, but this is really not feasible for allotment holders. Filling cans from taps with sufficient water for a whole plot will be a nightmare task and some elderly gardeners may find it too arduous in the heat. Are we supposed to just stand by and watch our future meals die? I am determined to still use the same amount of water on my crops, it will just take me 10 times as long, so where's the sense in that? I feel another letter to my MP coming on....

You really don't need to water an allotment very much at all if you manage it from the start. Most things need water when first planted but too much watering will lead to shallow roots which need more water - a kind of ever decreasing cirle. Treat them hard and they'll go deep and are more resistant to drought. Also you can mulch to avoid water loss and pick varieties that can cope better. Watering only when necessary is more efficient in terms of time and energy as well as water conservation - and I'm quite lazy so happy to fit with that model. OK so we have plenty of water a the moment but this has worked well for friends in Norfolk who had it stupidly dry last year. Can't use hosepipes on our plot anyway as no running water so all age groups manage with butts and the like

[quark1]

Well I've read all the comments so far and I'm pretty sure that no-one has brought up the topic of the water companies selling off reservoirs and the surrounding areas for housing development.

I think that Thames Water is one of the offenders at the very least.

This places more homes in areas where there is already a huge demand and makes the problem for demand even greater with less resource from which to supply water. Its hardly rocket science to work out that if you remove storage and add to demand that something will have to give.

It is also my opinion that these reservoirs developed into housing are in natural drainage areas and could possibly be more liable to flooding - after all they would by definition be natural flood plains.

A toxic combination of short-term gains with no long term planning and sustainability are to blame.

There endeth the lesson according to...........

[Kaiya]

Right - I shall now inform my parents they need to save me the 4 pint milk bottles too (they already save most other forms for either cane tops or wine/champagne making) to sink into the ground.

I've killed more things with water than with drought (scorched all my beans last year). My plants have to stand up for themselves as I can only be there at the weekend. I know drought does not equal heat, but it still feels a little ironic though that just at the point at which our tap is turned back on (it's off until risk of frost is past - has been a bit of a pain for watering in seedlings...) the hosepipe ban will be starting.

[Thelma Sanders]

interesting that SE Water lists as one of its
Restrictions

Watering of plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe

but gives the
Concession

Watering with water efficient watering systems drip or micro irrigation

so that may be the way to go .......

I've e-mailed them to confirm that using the siphon handpump/hose idea is ok, rather than risk £1000 fine

[Potstubsdustbins]

Just a question, if the water companies are not supplying the service for which we pay DO WE GET A REBATE?

After all if I installed you a new boiler and it only worked in the summer you would not be very happy and you would be down the CA office.


Colin

[Peas'n'Kews]

The only time I ever got money back from a water company was when the sewer pipes flooded and several gardens, including mine, got sewage all over them. The Water company cleaned it al up (killing some plants in the process) and gave us all some money - can't remember how much now!

[salome2001]

According to the veolia site, you can only fill a pond if it has fish in it, but not if it's just decorative!

I would like to see the justification for that, I have just finished reading "No Nettles Required, the Truth about Wildlife Gardening", and one of the most wildlife-friendly things he found in terms of supporting wildlife was a pond WITHOUT fish. Fish do not make an ecosystem...

[Potstubsdustbins]

Salome, water authority say that hose pipes can be used where livestock are involved, therefore fish ponds are exempt.

Colin