Water restrictions.

[Benchwayze]

I think a National Distribution Grid, is a good notion, but there will be problems and resentment.

In my area (South Staffs Water) there is so much spring-water running, that in the 19th century the owner of Scott House in Great Barr, was able to build a dam, across a small river and form three huge lakes on his land. (By this action, he also put half a dozen paper-mills out of business.)

Even in the Summer of 1976, those lakes fell by only a couple of inches, whilst elsewhere in the country, lakes and reservoirs were drying out. Even now, the sluices have to be open or the dam would overflow onto the main road. (Which is exactly what happens when they clog up with debris. ) And where does all this spring-water go? After welling up from ground about a mile from my home, it's sent through a culvert under the M6, destroying one more habitat of the now rare native crayfish. It winds up at the sewage farm. Why it can't be trapped here, and used at source for the surrounding area I just don't know.

So, National Water Grid... All fine in principle, but I could understand those who would not like the idea of this water being given to other areas. Especially if we were to suffer a hosepipe ban, which we have never yet had imposed on us.

I think I might decide to have a 'well' sunk in my garden after all.

 

[Lowlife]

I thought about getting a meter fitted, but when I spoke to the supplier they kindly told me it would work out at least 50% more than the £219pa that I currently pay, so we won't be having that!

I've been planning for ages to drill a borehole for watering the garden in times of drought and consequent hosepipe bans, we live by the river so the water table isn't far down, I got a quote and it was over £3.5K to have it done professionally though, they said we needed to go down about 15 feet.

I reckon with a bit of effort it wouldn't be too hard to do that ourselves with a soil auger, and line the hole as it goes down with heavy duty plastic pipe, anyone got any info/ideas on this?

 

[Benchwayze]

I think there are about 8 to 12 feet to dig where I live, then you hit solid sandstone. That's the problem bit. Once through the sandstone, the water is there to tap. At my age I might just about last the 20 years, to recoup the initial £3.500. If I am lucky! However, thirty years younger and I would seriously consider it a worthwhile investment.

http://fdungan.com/well.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_12155167_dig-la ... -well.html

Have a look LL. Some info there.

 

[Lowlife]

Thanks I'll have a read of those.

Luckily here we just have the London Clay to drill through which is quite easy, then we hit gravel which is where the water is, and the supply is constant, no waiting for sufficient water to seep into the borehole as in some areas.

When we moved here my son and I (mostly him actually!) dug a 6 foot hole and that was quite easy, although that did fill up with water we'd need to go twice as deep probably for a constant supply.

 

[Harbo]

Our water is pumped out of the chalk under our village - also oil too!
We never have a water shortage as they have no idea how much there is but have to introduce restrictions to keep other areas happy?

Rod

 

[Digit]

There's a snag to that John, (wouldn't you know?) you don't own the water!

Roy.

 

[Benchwayze]

There's a snag to that John, (wouldn't you know?) you don't own the water!

Roy.

What's changed then Roy? What Statute (Not Law) says that? I own the space above my property, and provision had to be made to allow aircraft to encroach my airspace! :lol:

 

[Digit]

I dunno John, but when I was in the business you needed a licence to 'abstract' water! In my case at the time it was the Severn Trent Water Authority that I had to deal with.

Roy.

 

[Benchwayze]

Yes Roy,

I believe you do need permission to sink a well.
But generally I don't think there's any objection to using one once you've done the job. The local water authority might not like losing a customer though! Probably they'd get fussy on a common-or-garden housing estate!

I did have one officious berk try to tell me I couldn't have too many water butts, because I was stealing 'their' water, from my roof! I told him where to go, and I never heard any more!

So if I wanted to sink a well, I'd probably go ahead with it and apply later. Depends on whether or not I struck oil!

 

[Digit]

As mentioned here many of us pay for our water based on the rateable value of the property, which for me is great as in desperation the local council have rated my place as a caravan!
I pay monthly by direct debit, but a house two miles from me recieved a demand for water rates going back years, would Dwr Cymru believe they were not on mains water? No they would not!
Would they send someone out to check? No they would not!
Eventually they took the matter to court, and guess what, they lost!
The property in question stands at the base of a rather large Glacial Moraine and also has the largest pond around here!
What used to be the local Lunatic Ayslum complex is also on ground water, played bloody havoc with their washing machines!

Roy.

 

[Harbo]

You do not have any Mineral or Water Rights for any land within your boundaries. And if you do get permission to sink a well, you will be limited to how much you can extract.
Any water extraction effects the water table and can have long lasting and wide reaching effects?

Rod

 

[Digit]

I wish someone would lower our water table! At the moment it's plus several inches :lol:

Roy.

 

[Lowlife]

I asked the professional installer about the legality of this when I first looked into having a borehole, I was told I didn't need a licence, triple-checked with Surrey CC, Spelthorne BC, and the EA and they all said the same. There is a limit to how much you can extract without a licence but it's several thousand litres a day or week, I forget which, but more than enough to water the garden and fill the fishponds, in fact I'd probably just have it running constantly into the ponds and let them overflow into the garden, and it has to be for your own domestic use too.

I've found several simple methods to drill a bore in soft soil like ours. There's the hardpoint method as used in one of those articles, basically just get a pipe and attach a metal point to it, then whack it with a sledgehammer until it's deep enough! Simple but only for small diameter pipe, so you couldn't drop a submersible pump down it which is what I have in mind so it can power a hose or a sprinkler.

You can also jet it with high pressure water, dig a hole and install a 6" diameter pipe as deep as possible, then make a rigid hose extension, connect to a high pressure water source, stick it down the pipe and blast the soil below until it's clear enough to push the pipe deeper, add another section of pipe and carry on... I like the sound of this and may use it, will try a cheap hand auger to drill the initial hole, then hook the pressure washer up to an extension tube.

My neighbours on the opposite side of the lane have it easy, they have gardens that go down to the river so they just chuck a pump over the edge, on summer evenings you can row along and listen to the hum of submersible pumps irrigating the perfect lawns, while everyone else's is dead and brown!

 

[nanscombe]

I think a National Distribution Grid, is a good notion, but there will be problems and resentment.

Didn't we have one? I think they were called canals.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A friend of mine lived on a smallholding in 1976 and he had abstraction license and a large borehole. A drought that summer.........I'm O.K., he thought, I've got 1000's of gallons!............Every week for the rest of the summer, the water board men turned up with bowsers and pumped it dry (they are legally allowed to do so).

 

[Digit]

The problem with the canals Nigel is that they are not all at the correct height above sea level.

Roy.

 

[Benchwayze]

There's a fellow opposite me who waters his lawn every evening in the summer.
He is mad about a green lawn. He also mows it regularly; (More than, in fact!) He asked me how I manage to keep a lawn alive, when I don't water it.

Like my old Dad said, 'Leave it alone. It'll survive no matter how brown it goes. The more you water a lawn the more you have to mow the ruddy thing!' Were it not for local regs, I'd put shingle all over my front garden!

And the things I've seen dragged out of canals.... No Thanks.. (Mind you, I suppose we will be drinking filtered sewage eventually! ) 8)

 

[Lowlife]

I see on the news this week they are planning to open up some old canals and use them to supply water to London from the Severn.

 

[Digit]

(Mind you, I suppose we will be drinking filtered sewage eventually! 8)

Statistically the water you used to make your cup of tea has been through people already!
Here in west Wales we have of course the opposite problem to the SE, too much water!
My son got caught in a downpour this morning whilst out on his motor bike, got drenched!

Roy.

 

[Benchwayze]

(Mind you, I suppose we will be drinking filtered sewage eventually! 8)

Statistically the water you used to make your cup of tea has been through people already!
Here in west Wales we have of course the opposite problem to the SE, too much water!
My son got caught in a downpour this morning whilst out on his motor bike, got drenched!

Roy.

Thanks Roy, but a little too much information.. :mrgreen:

And my Missus asks why I use a filter jug! (Mainly because I don't like water that tastes like a public swimming pool.) Now I know why it tastes that way! :shock: