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Hosepipe ban

13

Comments

  • mz_grim
    mz_grim Posts: 155 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Hey just thought i would lend some advice as here in melbourne we are on perminant water restrictions. We can only water by hand (bucket or watering can) every second day (goes by house number ie: odd house number can water on 1st 3rd 5th of the month ect). Things we do to save water and still be able to water plants.
    - Shower with a bucket then use this water on the garden
    - As above with bath water
    - Here you can buy these adapters to collect washing machine water they look like this http://cgi.ebay.com.au/WATER-RECYCLER-GREY-WATER-DIVERTER-x-2-YOUR-GARDEN-/150459532235?cmd=ViewItem&pt=AU_Gardening_Equipment&hash=item23081643cb you just connect your hose onto the non funnel end.
    - Water only in the cool of the day (we have designated times only between 6am and 8am then again in the evening 8pm - 10pm even in winter)
    - Use spare bins buckets ect to catch what rain does fall.
    - Use extra mulch to keep moisture in (I use sugar cane mulch) this means having to water less often.
    - Use water crystals these swell up when you water and release water on days when you dont water.
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  • cootambear
    cootambear Posts: 1,474 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Fck em. If you know your neighbours wont grass you (sic), water away. Water cos lose thousands of gallons of water every day through leaky pipes, yet use the water tax to pay shareholders rather than repair them.
    Freedom is the freedom to say that 2+2 = 4 (George Orwell, 1984).

    (I desire) ‘a great production that will supply all, and more than all the people can consume’,

    (Sylvia Pankhurst).
  • How exactly do they police the hosepipe ban? We live in a cul-de-sac in a residential area. I remember when we've had hosepipe bans in the past people still carried on using them.
  • Amarillo
    Amarillo Posts: 181 Forumite
    I'm further down the country so no ban yet but also no rain either . We were lucky enough to get an allotment this year but with no water supply. I can't park very near so it's difficult to carry more than a few litres plus DH hasn't got my guttering up on the shed yet.

    So my plot doesn't get much water at all, a watering in at the beginning and that's their lot. It has been really interesting to see how things do, much better than expected. A few of the spuds have had it but everything else such as runner beans and courgettes are growing well, just a little slowly.

    It has been quite an eye opener to me as to how plants get by with very little water. I never water the garden at all either and things usually thrive there as well - apart from the thing I call my lawn aka the sahara desert !
  • morg_monster
    morg_monster Posts: 2,392 Forumite
    Thanks this is all really helpful to a noob gardener. Using the watering can isn't a huge deal for us as most of our veg is on the patio near the tap. But I might start keeping a bucket in the bathroom to collect shower water (although then this will tempt me to leave the shower on when lathering up; usually i turn it off... so probably, net usage will stay the same...). And I'm already keeping the water from washing veg; we get through so much salad there's loads of water used up for that. No way will I be letting any of our veg die!

    As for rainwater butts, they are great, but only when it rains... We are supposed to be getting our guttering replaced at some point so maybe I'll get something put in then.

    As for "how do the companies actually find out if you've used a hose?" well I think its usually neighbours grassing you up! So if you've ever had any disagreements with your neighbours, you might want to think twice about flouting the ban... I have heard of people watering the garden in the dead of night! Although that is usually the lawn... you should feel guilty for watering the lawn, is my personal opinion. Veg and other plants is another matter...
  • SallyForth_2
    SallyForth_2 Posts: 501 Forumite
    I thought it might be a good idea to collect the water from my house and use in the garden, but all my pipes dissappear into the ground inside, and there is nowhere outside to catch the water at all. It seems the entire house is designed to make water collection really difficult, even the downpipes from the gutters (which are complete enclosed, right down to the ground) are on the wrong corners so no water butts can stand there.

    I am using a bucket in the shower so I can fill my water butt though.
  • olly300
    olly300 Posts: 14,738 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    How exactly do they police the hosepipe ban? We live in a cul-de-sac in a residential area. I remember when we've had hosepipe bans in the past people still carried on using them.

    You will be grassed up by your neighbours.
    I'm not cynical I'm realistic :p

    (If a link I give opens pop ups I won't know I don't use windows)
  • buggalugs
    buggalugs Posts: 149 Forumite
    Yes isn't it typical that as soon as they announce the hosepipe ban the rain falls lol I have been watering my flowers using grey water all the time, but my veggies need more than we generate so it will be umpty nine thousand trips with the watering can lol ( trust me I am joking about the amount of trips ;) )
    Edited to add. SallyForth I know what you mean, we can't get a butt in place either without cutting off access :(
  • katholicos
    katholicos Posts: 2,658 Forumite
    We've just had letter from Severn Trent Water to say that water is being sourced from elsewhere and we may notice a difference in the taste of our water for a while....nothing at all about hosepipe bans though!
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  • digitalphase
    digitalphase Posts: 2,087 Forumite
    I hope we don't get a hosepipe ban in East Anglia. This is our first year using a hosepipe, used to always use a watering can, but the hose cuts the time quite dramatically as we have a large garden.

    I have three fish tanks, so save the water from that when doing waterchanges to water the plants. Goes into a large tub and we dunk the watering can in.

    Appreciate reading any watersaving tips :)
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