Cheaper water bill because i have a water butt?

Sparky47

Cardew wrote: »

You are charged for sewerage as a proportion of the water that the company supply. e.g if they supply and charge for, say 100 cubic metres, then you are charged for 90 cubic metres* 'waste water' or sewerage. It is assumed that 10% evaporates or is used on the garden.

While the above statement is true, in the case of my water company (south west water) there are three different rates per cubic metre.
One for water and two for sewerage.

One sewerage rate includes surface water drainage and the other cheaper one is without surface water drainage.

If you can stop surface water going into the drain by using soakaways or whatever, then a letter to the water company telling them will result in a change to the lower rate.

ziggyman99

Soubrette wrote: »

Rainfall is definitely not part of the water supplied by my water company (although they'd probably try and charge for it if they could).

Sou

Not quite but if you dig your own well you may have to get an abstraction licence and a inform the British geological Survey.

Cardew

Soubrette wrote: »

I'm confused

My water company definitely gives a (fairly derisory) discount if you have soakaways on your property and I'm fairly certain this is on the sewerage part of the bill.

The soakaways are described as something that takes the rainfall away from the roof and into the soakaway rather than down the drain.

Rainfall is definitely not part of the water supplied by my water company (although they'd probably try and charge for it if they could).

Sou

The water companies have ruled(apparently backed by Ofwat) that exemption from Surface Water Drainage(SWD) charges will not be allowed where rain water is collected by butts.

This has been covered many times and I understand that the crucial issue is that if the property has a connection to the sewer they can charge the full sewerage charge(which includes SWD)

Historically, companies have been entitled to raise full sewerage charges where customers' properties have a connection (for any purpose) to the public sewer. (There is a case law in support of this position see Yorkshire Water Services Ltd v Hall [1994]).

A customer can apply to the water company for exemption from the SWD charges, but it is their decision if that exemption is allowed, and water butts are not, by precedent, sufficient grounds.

I would surmise that the reasons are:

Not a permanent fixture - could be removed - damaged - not emptied - have insufficient capacity etc.

To gain exemption from SWD you usually need a soakaway, or proof that none of the surface water from ground/gutters etc enters the sewerage system, and incidentally that doesn't just include gutters - if water runs onto a road and then goes into a sewer via a drain then you are liable.

Cardew

As a matter of interest I was working out the amount of rainfall that would fall on a normal size house covering an area of 600 square feet and the capacity of water butts needed to prevent any of that water from entering the sewerage system.

The UK average annual rainfall is around 30 inches - 2.5 ft. So that is approx 1,500 cubic feet and that is over 42,000 litres.

Even the biggest water butts I have seen are around 1,000 litres.

So take a wet winter day when easily one inch of rain can fall, that will produce 1,400 litres of water which you will need to dispose of on your already sodden garden.

Bigger house? wetter day, wetter part of UK - Mmmmm

Perhaps the water companies have good reason!

maninthestreet

No ifs, no BUTTS, you won't get a reduction on your water bill.

ariba10

The waste water charge is based on the amount of water that passes through your water meter (Assuming you have one ) So any water that you use from the Butt will reduce your charge.

ziggyman99

ariba10 wrote: »

The waste water charge is based on the amount of water that passes through your water meter (Assuming you have one ) So any water that you use from the Butt will reduce your charge.

But by a miniscule amount.

ariba10

ziggyman99 wrote: »

But by a miniscule amount.

But still a saving!

ariba10

Little drops of water

Tiny grains of sand

Made the mighty ocean

And built the promised land

ziggyman99

ariba10 wrote: »

Little drops of water

Tiny grains of sand

Made the mighty ocean

And built the promised land

Yeah I bet you wipe with one sheet of toilet paper and use both sides....