Cube Mark One Run

[Lesley]

it does seem odd that we are flooded one minute & having a hosepipe ban the next but I dont understand why having a water butt is optional, surely we all have a responsibility to use water wisely. Im sure I saw it somewhere that rain water collection systems can be used to flush toilets & run washing machines so why aren't all new buildings set up this way, particularly public ones like schools & council buildings.

 

I think all new buildings should have grey water systems - I wish ours did. All our pipework is internal and hidden so we can't re-use shower or bath water

[docsquid]

We have water butts at home and a 1 tonne water butt at our wildlife site. Despite this the home one has been empty for weeks, and the one at the wildlife site is less than half full - and I do all the watering with watering cans in the greenhouse and on the allotment beds there. We have had only three days when it has rained (excluding a bit of drizzle) since the start of April. It is incredibly dry, the ground is cracking everywhere, and foundations that have been stable for 3 years are shifting.

 

I think it will take a few weeks of solid rain to restore the water table and get things back to normal again. The long range forecast is for normal rainfall in July, but then very dry again through August to December. If that comes true, I think we will all be in for extended hosepipe bans!

[Treekeeper]

So again why have the powers that be not prepared for it? We are an island surrounded by water, Malta have had desalination plants for years. As for flood water being contaminated where do you think the normal rain comes from and goes to??? As I have said before my buildings do use rainwater recovery to lush the loos so I know the technology and how easy it is to fit. Don't be applauding any Utilities compny they waste more water than anyone by not keeping the infrastructure up to scratch I have had experience of it in the commercila world and believe me they are laughable.

[Jools]

Yes they should be prepared for it but everything costs money and isn't always logistically easy. I agree they should be doing more to fix leaks, but I also think that we should change our attitudes to water supply. We're so used to turning on a tap and clean drinking water always being there but whether we like it or not, the climate is changing and the population climbing. The utility companies have a responsiblity to safeguard supplies but equally we have a responsibity to be ..... errrrr ........ responsible.

 

We've have some rain in the past week, so our supply is running again. However the reservoir levels are still dramatically down and it will take a whole lot more wet stuff to fall from the sky before things return to normal. We watched the Environment Agency chest-deep in mud, rescuing fish from a tarn near Coniston the other week because the dregs of water were disappearing fast. Still, watering lawns is so important isn't it!

[chickenanne]

Personally, I feel leaking pipes and the rest are dreadful: water costs (envronmentally and money!) to purify and wasting it is not acceptable, wether you're a utility company loosing huge amounts in leaky pipework or a private individual wasting it. I would rather see cash being invested in fixing, or replaceing, past-it pipeworks rather than on plants which would allow us to continue wasting water.

 

I also think our use of all sorts of resources (oil, electricity, gas, food, water, plastics, clothing...the list is endless) is something which needs to be addressed rather than blamket increasing capacity to allow us to continue our wasteful lifestyles.

[The Dogmother]

Two of my three water butts are full. I just wish it was possible to get a digger to the back of my house to dig in a grey water tank.

[Old Speckled Hen]

I must look at having a tank. I do have the room and access. Since Friday morning when the ban took effect we have had practically constant rain and the river Kent is back to its normal roar

Claret, why don't you have an Omlet digathon and get everybody round with their picks and shovels. Bake plenty of cake and job done in no time

[coco]

We have a hosepipe ban here but we are not far from Chester. It depends who supplies your water there. United Utilities customers have a ban but Dee Valley water doesn't. Daft as its all the same postcode.

[The Dogmother]

Claret, why don't you have an Omlet digathon and get everybody round with their picks and shovels. Bake plenty of cake and job done in no time

 

Good idea, I once had a fence painitng day at my place in London - invited loads of friends round, I cooked a massive lasagne and supplied beer; great day

 

Seriously though, housing developers act really irresonsibly and are slow to pick up on climatic impact; they build enormous new developments on the edges of towns, which stretch the existing water supply/waste infrastructure to the limit. Also the buildings on that area, and the tarmaced roads mean that there's less land to soak up all the rainfall.... resulting in floods and less water entering the system to be stored in reservoirs.

 

You can tell that I work in construction!

[abwsco]

Claret, why don't you have an Omlet digathon and get everybody round with their picks and shovels. Bake plenty of cake and job done in no time

 

Good idea, I once had a fence painitng day at my place in London - invited loads of friends round, I cooked a massive lasagne and supplied beer; great day

 

Seriously though, housing developers act really irresonsibly and are slow to pick up on climatic impact; they build enormous new developments on the edges of towns, which stretch the existing water supply/waste infrastructure to the limit. Also the buildings on that area, and the tarmaced roads mean that there's less land to soak up all the rainfall.... resulting in floods and less water entering the system to be stored in reservoirs.

 

You can tell that I work in construction!

 

Or if you're a developer here you build on land that has always been waterlogged and also charge a fortune for the hideous houses!

[The Dogmother]

They did that near my folks and built on a floodplain against advice then the houses flooded 2 years later.

 

My company ends up picking up all the pieces and resolving disputes

[Treekeeper]

Well it finall stopped raining Sunday afternoon so I dragged out my hosepipe to wash out the cube and fill up the auto drinker. I used all the old water to water the veg and only used just enough to get all the caked on pooh off and the quick rinsed. However Like a shot my 2 nosey neighbours over the back were suddenly at the end of their gardens behind their sheds watching what I was doing with the hose. My OH said in a loud voice GOOD JOB I RANG UNITED UTILITIES TO CHECK I'T'S OK TO USE HOSES TO WATER/CLEAN CHICKENS Exit stage left 2 red faced busybodies

[Jules.]

I don't think it's stopped raining here since the hosepipe ban started

 

Please stop soon, as we're due to go camping this summer..

[migsy]

Seriously though, housing developers act really irresonsibly and are slow to pick up on climatic impact; they build enormous new developments on the edges of towns, which stretch the existing water supply/waste infrastructure to the limit. Also the buildings on that area, and the tarmaced roads mean that there's less land to soak up all the rainfall.... resulting in floods and less water entering the system to be stored in reservoirs.

 

You can tell that I work in construction!

 

Well, people have to live somewhere! Actually, local planning authorities are getting a bit better to ensure that new dwellings have more "sustainable" features incorporated. Most LPAs are in the process of making new development plan documents so I suggest that those who are concerned get in touch with their local planning department and ask how to make representations about incorporating such sustainable policies into their plans. (e.g. encourage use of grey water systems, green roofs, micro energy etc....)

[poachedegg]

I don't think it's stopped raining here since the hosepipe ban started

 

Please stop soon, as we're due to go camping this summer..

 

We're rather wet and soggy too! Hope it picks up for you.

[Treekeeper]

I've just been cleaning my chooks out in a biblical deluge (using the hose on the cube) And been made to get changed in the garage because I was so wet! The lawn at the bottom of the garden is under water again surely the reservoirs are full now?

[Happy chickens!]

At least with all the rain not only will the reservoirs be filling up, but they won't be emptying as fast as presumably all those with sprinkler systems for their lawns will switch them off!! (I'm very cynical about how many people are actually observing this ban....)

 

Totally agree that houses could be built a lot more 'greenly'!

[Jools]

I've just been cleaning my chooks out in a biblical deluge (using the hose on the cube) And been made to get changed in the garage because I was so wet! The lawn at the bottom of the garden is under water again surely the reservoirs are full now?

 

Not even close. They'd have to turn off the taps for that.

 

The pipe from Thirlmere is large enough to drive a vehicle through, which is how they do their inspections. That's a lot of water.

[Old Speckled Hen]

I've just been cleaning my chooks out in a biblical deluge (using the hose on the cube) And been made to get changed in the garage because I was so wet! The lawn at the bottom of the garden is under water again surely the reservoirs are full now?

 

Not even close. They'd have to turn off the taps for that.

 

The pipe from Thirlmere is large enough to drive a vehicle through, which is how they do their inspections. That's a lot of water.

 

Yes, I drove past on Friday and the water level is 20feet or more below its usual level

[patsylabrador]

So dry here that the ground (clay) is cracking and leaves are falling from the trees. Struggling to keep everything going!

[Old Speckled Hen]

I am sitting in the conservatory watching a deluge of biblical proportions.

The chooks are fluffed up and wetfooted in their run and the bees can't fly, simply looking out of the entrance now and again. I am having to feed them and it's midsummer!!!!!!

When hubby retires in 2012 I think we'll get a small cottage with land and less rain. Lincolnshire? Lots of OSR honey

[Cinnamon]

Blimey - its 28 here & far too hot for me to be out in the garden!

The veggies could do with some of your rain

[abwsco]

It's absolutely persisting down here

[Old Speckled Hen]

It's absolutely persisting down here

Same neck of the woods. The week's forecast looks dire too

I drove up from 24 degrees in London yesterday and the minute we got to Blackpool on the M6 it started persisting too

[abwsco]

It's absolutely persisting down here

Same neck of the woods. The week's forecast looks dire too

I drove up from 24 degrees in London yesterday and the minute we got to Blackpool on the M6 it started persisting too

 

I know The rains coming into the run as well. I told DH that it needed doing when we were both off but he knew best I made him go out with a ladder when it was dry yesterday and sweep all the leaves and fallen apples off it but he still reckons it doesn't need doing. Has a point I suppose as the chickens don't spend so much time in there anyway.