Is there a problem filling our water tanks now in Scotland?

[dutyhog]

I've only heard this third hand, so I may be misinformed. The story was that from 6th June the Scottish Government has done something that has led owners of piers, jetties, pontoons etc to withdraw the supply of water to boats. Hoses have been taken away and taps removed. In some places (eg the Crinan canal) you can still get water if you provide your own hose, but other places (eg Tayvallich) have even disconnected the water taps.

I've yet to visit any refilling spots to check availability. Does anyone know the real situation?

 

[Tranona]

May well be the case. This is an on going issue with many marinas as water companies are imposing tighter restrictions on water supplies in such locations to counter potential pollution problems. The way such companies have gone about improving quality of water supplies and preventing contamination has varied from place to place, but the easiest way is to ban hoses or banning the supply of water all together. That is not the only solution and marinas and clubs have to find a way of complying with the regulations while still providing a service. Most solutions have a cost implication so individual owners and operators have to make their own decisions.

 

[Hydrozoan]

Basically, it's about government regulations (applying not just in Scotland) to prevent backflow of contaminated water (especially water which may contain human or animal waste and pathogens) into the drinking water supply system, and they apply across the board - not only to jetties, piers marinas etc.

For some background on the situation with marinas, there is a slide presentation from a BMF conference here http://www.britishmarine.co.uk/pdf/WRAS%20presentation.pdf, and a document here http://www.wras.co.uk/PDF_Files/Marina%20hose%20tap%20conditions%20for%20use%20Approved%20Sept%2008.pdf on how the regulations may be complied with, agreed between marina operators and UK Water Suppliers.

Please be aware that these particular links may not describe the very latest position, that they are focused on marinas rather than on piers and jetties (though the broad principles will be the same) and that there may be some differences in Scotland.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I was in Tayvallich last week and the tap is disconnected. It is the only place I have found this so far. Many other places still have working taps and hoses.

In Wales we had all our hoses removed from supplies many years ago. I'm surprised it is taking other places so long for the jobsworths to catch up.

 

[Hydrozoan]

I think the Regulations for E&W came in to force much earlier than those for S - and later again for NI - but I might be mistaken.

 

[aquaplane]

AFAIK the only thing that needs doing @ Tayvallich is to fit a double check valve as in the 19th slide in that powerpoint presentation.

Why it's taken all year to do it I don't know. It's been like that since before Easter.

The tap at the Post Office has been turned off too. That one will need double check valves also.

I wasn't impressed when I was told to use the sink tap in the toilets or water from the spring.

I can see the need to protect the water supply but sorting out the problem shouldn't take as long as it has.

 

[terry.mcneill]

I was at Dunstaffnage, Tobermory and Loch Aline last weekend and marina hosepipes were operating on the pontoons as normal in all three

 

[bert49uk]

Sorry double check valves don't meet the regulations ( here in England) our pier and quays here in Ilfracombe are in the process of being modified.
All supplies must have an air gap between tap and the main, this involves fitting a tank above ground that the main can run into from the tank the water is then fed to the taps.
Absolutely crazy!!!! What happens if a rat or seagull drowns in the tank

 

[pmagowan]

Another rat or seagul mourns?

 

[markhomer]

Whilst water regs may be a driver ,
Uk government ACOP L8 which is mandatory has a lot more to do with it ,hoses lying in sun underused or infrequently are a perfect breeding ground for legionella , ho hum here we go again !


http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg274part2.pdf

 

[Jonas]

Last time I'll bother saying this, but legionella is not a problem in drinking water. We all drink plenty of it from our taps.

 

[ProDave]

Ah this check valve thing.

I'm soon to start building a new house and am in the process of getting a water supply connected.

I have a standpipe on site, fed from an underground stop valve (that contains a check valve) the bib tap on the standpipe contains a check valve. But no, that's not good enough for Scottish water. I had to fit an in line check valve. to that's THREE check valves on the supply to the tap on my stand pipe.

Talk about overkill.

 

[pagoda]

There is/was a hose at the peirhead at Lochmaddy. The sort of average black hose you would be reluctant to use for anything, but it was the only official source of water at the main pier. Nasty.
On the other hand , round by the old pier, where the creel boats land, there was an immaculate blue hose with a new tap. We ended up carrying jerrycans to the latter. Hard work but not difficult.
Similarly at Castlebay on Barra there is a tap round the back of the Calmac office / toilets, no hose, but not too far to carry water to the slipway.
The other option available in the west highlands is to fill up from the nearest burn (aka stream). I've gone ashore in various places to do simply that, and never had any problems with the water at all. The probability of a dead sheep upstream can't be ruled out, but it's not very likely. I think the paranoia about check valves has become extreme. On Arran, we have pretty serious water pressure in the main, so I can't begin to imagine how anything could possibly back flow!! It regularly blows the fittings off garden hoses.:ambivalence:

 

[MM5AHO]

The backflow situation can be serious, but seems to be rare.
I was involved in such a situation once (not in the UK), where, during a powercut that dropped the mains water pressure, some 30 tonnes of 10% hydrochloric acid back syphoned into the water main. There was no air gap between a tank filling hose to add water to this acid tank, it was on - had been filling the tank, and lack of mains pressure ensured that this tank at an elevation backflowed until empty.
It caused quite a kerfuffle naturally.
After that this filler hose had to have an air separation tank fitted. A check valve isn't fool proof. But water doesn't normally defy gravity and flow upward through air, so air gap was required.
All that said, having these on pontoon hoses seems overkill to me too.

 

[snowleopard]

About 3 years ago our yard replaced the threaded taps with plain-ended bathroom type taps. The theory was to prevent hoses being left connected then the contaminated contents sucked back into the mains. To fit threaded taps required a header tank. The water Co has no interest in the water once it leaves thir pipes so if their regulations result in you getting Legionella or Weil's disease, that's your problem.

Strangely, threaded taps have reappeared this year, I don't know why.

 

[dutyhog]

Thanks for all the comments. I won't need water for some time, and I hope to be near somewhere that still has a supply when the time comes.

 

[webcraft]

I was at Dunstaffnage, Tobermory and Loch Aline last weekend and marina hosepipes were operating on the pontoons as normal in all three

Ditto. You can add Craobh Haven to the list as well.




- W

 

[Tranona]

Is there nothing they won't try to blame on Alex Salmond ?


- W

Paranoid or what? Not everybody is obsessed with making political points out of a genuine question. Although you may have inside information that Salmond is planning to withdraw water supplies from anybody who does not agree with him.

 

[starboard]

Salen jetty has water and hoses on every pontoon still as of two days ago

 

[webcraft]

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