Nimbys triumphant again

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oldgit

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Interesting programme on BBC Panarama tonight about how we are destroying our rivers.

"South-east England has less water per person than Morocco or Egypt"

Houses,roads,railways,pylons,rubbish incinerators,power stations,airports,quarries ,tips,gas pipelines,a new Tescos and .....http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-12651131.
....corse middle england uses none of the above.
the opposition to water meters is a classic case,we waste far to much water and metering it would help matters considerably,blimming lawn sprinklers ferrinstance .IMJO
 
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I declined to have a water meter even though it would probably save two of us and the dog a few quid.

I've heard too many horror stories where an unseen leak has cost the homeowner a fortune, in favour of the utility.

Not a risk I'm willing to take.
 
Richard10002 said:
I declined to have a water meter even though it would probably save two of us and the dog a few quid.

I've heard too many horror stories where an unseen leak has cost the homeowner a fortune, in favour of the utility.

Not a risk I'm willing to take.
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Same as the electric-turn everything off and dont flush. Write down the reading on the meter and check again in an hour. Same reading,no leak. On the other hand if you found you had a leak without a meter would you say "No problem-I pay the same no matter how much I use". Its about not wasting a resource,not cost. On the other hand I have never heard a water meter horror story. perhaps that is what they are,just stories.......
 
"I've heard too many horror stories where an unseen leak has cost the homeowner a fortune, in favour of the utility."

Have never ever heard of a single story along those lines.The problem is of course there would be no incentive to do anything about the leak and leave it as someone elses problem,if however you might have to pay !.
Believe that all domestic premises will be metered over next 10 years,commercial stuff was done years ago..
 
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Richard10002 said:
I declined to have a water meter even though it would probably save two of us and the dog a few quid.
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So would you prefer not to have an electricity meter and just pay what the supplier thinks you are using? I had a meter installed on a free offer and my bill dropped by over 50%!, I also had serious leak under the house which unless I had had a meter would never have known about until the house subsided, the bill went up and Thames water questioned it with me and I found the leak, they even refunded the lost water:) You'd be mad not to have one.
 
you tend to get one free repair for leaks, some councils cover the costs of reinstating the ground i.e concrete, paviours, slabs e.t.c. Some councils will charge you for reinstatement
 
We fitted a water meter about 5 years ago. It was a simple decision when I calculated what we were paying for water on the unmetered rate. reckon we have saved an easy 50% on a 4 person household.

'Horror stories' are few and far between. We had an underground pipe ( 25mm galvanised ) go at a house in South Africa but it was detected pretty quickly and wasn't the end of the world.

If you are that worried fit a private meter inside the house ( I have a remote reading electronic one fitted under the sink in the kitchen ) in addition to the suppliers one. A simple comparison check every couple of months will let you know if there's a problem.

I don't get the mentality of people who won't fit meters.

The sooner they mandate meters everywhere the better. Our neighbours fill their swimming pool with a hose with abandon. A royal pi$$ take.
 
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Ah, but, yes,but -

colvic987 said:
And its not stopped raining here in wales for the last 4 days, and the summer, what summer....:D
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Very little effort is made to trap and store the water that runs off.
When the River has appreciable flow Thames water says it's too mucky (turbid) and stop abstracting, so it runs over "Howard's Weir" and goes to waste.

There are plans for a large reservoir near Abingdon, but work hasn't started.

The costs are large and it's a lot cheaper to dig a deep hole and let nature do the filtering for you.

As to water metering; firstly being cynical I thing the water companies will up the standing charge to compensate for loss of revenue, secondly, my meter would be down a mucky hole and it's not possible to read it.If it were in a position (as it my electric supply meter) whet I could read it it be more inclined to have one fitted.
 
Thames Water's plan for Abingdon Reservoir was rejected in March and it would appear plans for a smaller reservoir are being considered.

Did anyone notice the speed that little speedboat was travelling at? Did they get dispensation or should we shop 'em? :D
 
teddington_lock said:
Ooooh , i like that !

Perhaps it should be known as that from now on !
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My pleasure to please you (in the best possible taste, you understand)

As it happens on the muddy ditches that I occasionally frequent, it is quite often that locks are named after (I assume) local characters (!!).

Place names are a bit anonymous, especially when it's confusing:-
Shiplake 'cos I think it's really Wargrave and
Caversham but the more significant place is Reading,
Whitchurch = Pangbourne

(yes, yes, I do know why.....)

So let's change them to
Howard's Lock
Gloomy Dave's,
Nigel's,
Terrific Tanya's

Bring the personalities back into the River.

Anyone got any pleasant and not unkind suggestions to break the gloom of an early autumn?
 
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