Water bills will have to rise to stop people having baths

chucky

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Google Barcelona and see how they are coping with a drought. People have changed their habits.

Only in the UK is there a continual chorus of complaints when we all don't get what we believe we are entitled to.

You're wrong again. It has nothing to do with habits.

The water supply in Barcelona is probably the most expensive in Spain. The quality of Spanish drinking water is poor and maybe not even drinkable, you rarely see Spanish people drinking tap water. One reason the water supply is so expensive is the opening of a new desalination plant in 2008 I believe it was.

The UK needs to build more desalination plants?

corbyboy

How can we possible run out of water? Two thirds of the surface of the planet is covered in water! We are an island surrounded by water!
Did nobody think of making use of any of that?

RenovationMan

There is plenty of water in the UK, we just don't invest in the infrastructure to move it around. Instead, the profits from the privatised companies go into shareholders pockets.

One good thing that may come of increased water prices is that Rainwater Harvesting might become cost effective (perhaps even a FIT equivalent could be put forth by the government), meaning that we won't keep using potable water to flush toilets, wash clothes and water lawns.

I looked into Rainwater Harvesting for our farm, but it's just not cost effective. Besides as we live between the Lake District and the Peak District, we get an ocean of water dropped on us every month!

IronWolf

I wish people would stop complaining about privatisation.

If these companies are so good and profits so high, why dont you invest in them and make back all your water bills.

A._Badger

IronWolf wrote: »

I wish people would stop complaining about privatisation.

If these companies are so good and profits so high, why dont you invest in them and make back all your water bills.

They're not 'good' They're monopolies. That's not capitalism.

RenovationMan

IronWolf wrote: »

I wish people would stop complaining about privatisation.

If these companies are so good and profits so high, why dont you invest in them and make back all your water bills.

Do you realise how much you'd have to invest in these companies to gain back what you lose in increased utility bills?

Out,_Vile_Jelly

Sanitation is to my mind the pinnacle of civilisation. We all take for granted the limitless clean water available at the twist of a tap, and the engineering efforts that flush it away out of sight to be reprocessed.

Yes, the management of water companies leaves a lot to be desired, but we are too casually wasteful of this resource.

kabayiri

The water shortage issue is a regional one. Now if only we had regional water companies...hey, we do !

Badger is right. Desalination is a cost-effective and pragmatic option for London/SE, which is where pressures due to population growth are occurring.

If we look back in history, there was a different growth spurt, this time in the North West, the days of 'King Cotton'.

The solution then was to build supply pipes from the Lake District. A solution which remains to this day, though augmented in the 1920s.

This solution had one key factor on its side - GRAVITY. Basically, its easy to allow the water to flow downhill to the North West Manchester region from the Lakes.

Advocates of further pumping/grid expansion of this water to the SE will not have gravity on their side. It will require energy to pump this water around the system to the SE. Better to use energy on desalination instead.

grizzly1911

IronWolf wrote: »

I wish people would stop complaining about privatisation.

If these companies are so good and profits so high, why dont you invest in them and make back all your water bills.

They would have to be stupid not to make money out of one of life's necessities when they are in a monopolistic position.

Many people do benefit through pension scheme investments but for this type of commodity it should be not be run for profit.

A fair price should be charged and surpluses reinvested wholly in upgrading, resilience and sustainability long term

RenovationMan

kabayiri wrote: »

The water shortage issue is a regional one. Now if only we had regional water companies...hey, we do !

Badger is right. Desalination is a cost-effective and pragmatic option for London/SE, which is where pressures due to population growth are occurring.

If we look back in history, there was a different growth spurt, this time in the North West, the days of 'King Cotton'.

The solution then was to build supply pipes from the Lake District. A solution which remains to this day, though augmented in the 1920s.

This solution had one key factor on its side - GRAVITY. Basically, its easy to allow the water to flow downhill to the North West Manchester region from the Lakes.

Advocates of further pumping/grid expansion of this water to the SE will not have gravity on their side. It will require energy to pump this water around the system to the SE. Better to use energy on desalination instead.

There was a documentary on the other night where a bloke mooted using the UKs extensve canal system to move water around in a cost effective manner. I think some derelict canal systems would have to be reinstated, but this has other benefits other than just water management, such as area regeneration.