Well we certainly had one yesterday. Not sure it was enough to fill the water butts, but certainly laid the dust and gave some much needed water to plants. It also brought out the slugs and snails, some of which I had to dispatch before they started on my plants. Sprayed the vulnerable ones with a mixture that is supposed to deter the gastropods, but not sure if it will work. Hope so as at present things aren't doing too badly.
Nicky cigreen
Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 9858 Location: Devon, uk
Posted: Thu Jun 15, 23 9:41 pm Post subject:
officially in a heat wave here now - and it's been hot. The water company is getting twitchy about reservoir levels, and being interviewed by local tv, had to admit that watering vegetable crops is allowed. I'm hoping to continue watering using my saved rainwater, but really only keeping the plants alive rather than them actually growing... We need a really good downpour to fill up the tanks, and give me a break from the constant watering routine.
Local swift population approve of my watering though, as they swoop down to collect wet mud for nest building after I water. I think most of the usual places to collect mud have dried up.
I put a bit of water in a shallow trough we have in the woods yesterday and we had wasps and bees buzzing round it all day. I am watering using stored rainwater, and it is certainly helping to keep things going, but they are not leafing up as I would like. In 1973 we didn't get beans or blackberries until the rain started in September. I have flowers on my beans, although not much leaf, so live in hopes.
gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 8882 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Posted: Fri Jun 16, 23 6:15 pm Post subject:
On the news today, Kent and Sussex consumers have been short of water for a week as the water board can't purify enough....ok, the population has gone up quicker than they had calculated, with all the housebuilding....
But every time we visit there we see wasted water....lawns, flowers, leaks.....add to this the fact that most don't bother about being careful with usage, only flushing when necessary, not washing cars etc.....
Part of it could be down to Ofwat. Our water company had been planning to have a reservoir from the mid 1960s but Ofwat told them they couldn't spend the money on it until they fixed all the leaks, of which we don't actually get many, and they are usually fixed quickly. They are only now starting to build it and the water will be shared with another company. There has been a tremendous amount of house building round here since the mid 1960s, but luckily everything has held up so far.
Agree that some people waste water though. Haven't seen so much lately, but did see someone with a sprinkler on their lawn the other day. First I had seen for ages and was quite shocked.
if the money is exported rather than invested in the infrastructure of the business, the business model is that of bandit rather than steward
there is plenty of water, there is suitable tech, there are kleptocrats
Nicky cigreen
Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 9858 Location: Devon, uk
Posted: Sat Jun 17, 23 11:53 am Post subject:
if you think watering lawns is bonkers - down here we have the issue of locals having a hosepipe ban but businesses are exempt - so holiday lets can water everything, have a hot tub, swimming pools are fine etc etc
We did at least, finally, get a decent shower of rain last night, only enough to half fill the barrels but more rain promised tomorrow.
gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 8882 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Posted: Sat Jun 17, 23 6:05 pm Post subject:
We had showers but hardly anything in the waterbutts.
The plants have really jumped though
I can understand some relaxation for businesses on the grounds of sanitation; when we went to Wales in 1976 (the only time we haven't got wet there), there were restrictions, but the campsite we used didn't have them on the grounds that restricting toilet flushing and showers could be unhygenic. We took our own drinking water as we we have plenty here; we only had a hosepipe ban as other parts of the country were on standpipes, and we were exporting water to Gibralter. Using water for watering and hot tubs is a waste though and shouldn't be allowed.
My veg are surviving with spot watering, and even growing slightly, but they could do with a bit of rain. We may get some today, but it is going to be very hit and miss.
Nicky cigreen
Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 9858 Location: Devon, uk
I can understand some relaxation for businesses on the grounds of sanitation; when we went to Wales in 1976 (the only time we haven't got wet there), there were restrictions, but the campsite we used didn't have them on the grounds that restricting toilet flushing and showers could be unhygenic. We took our own drinking water as we we have plenty here; we only had a hosepipe ban as other parts of the country were on standpipes, and we were exporting water to Gibralter. Using water for watering and hot tubs is a waste though and shouldn't be allowed.
things are not so desperate that we have to limit toilet flushing and showers etc - stand pipe usages has been ruled out. But the situation where you have someone living in a house cannot use a hose to water their garden but the air b&b next door is a business, so they can and do use a hose to water that garden...
The same rules on that sort of thing should apply to all I agree. Unnecessary usage such as watering lawns and ornamental parts of the garden should be the first things to stop unless the ornamentals are of particular value, in which case you would expect someone to arrange their own water storage.
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