The Water Shortage

[tellboy]

As I write this it has been pouring with rain for a week but I am told that makes absolutely no difference. Instead of everyone using their washing up water to water the garden and not flushing the toilet and having 5 second showers. We need some lateral thinking. I ask everyone not on a water meter to just run all their taps day and night. The water companies would then have to sort out the leaks and do some real engineering to sort things out to meet the ever increasing population, There are just too many people thats what it is.

[Kathyan]

If the water companies were made to fix all the leaks, there wouldn't be a shortage! Everything revolves around profit these days and paying extortionate amounts to bosses and shareholders. It's time that the water industry was nationalised

[jno]

water falling at the moment is sucked up by trees and plants that are growing. If it falls in winter, the water companies have less competition; but the winters recently have been dry. But the water companies are hopelessly inefficient, and they expect us to pay for their incompetence.

However, after a week of everyone letting all their water run away, I won't be getting on the tube without a clothespeg on my nose...

[spudqueen]

My Auntie lives in Lancaster and she says that a few years ago when United Utilites took over from the North West Water Board they had every road in Lancaster up replacing all the water mains. It was a real pain at the time with roads up everywhere and temporary traffic lights but she says now with all these water shortages everywhere and reports of leaks that they did the right thing. Maybe the other water companies should follow suit.

[Toureman]

Iv'e just turned all my taps on tellboy!

[jake-the-peg]

Not all the water companies have big leak problems.

United Utilities are bad and Thames Water are diabolical.

Thames (the worst offender) looses 100 million litres a day - enough for a million people but serves 13 million people.

If they plugged every single leak they'd have just 7% more water

So I have to disagree with Kathyan

In fact overall the water industry lost 151 litres per person per day 2004/5 compared to 228 1994/5.

I think in another thread It was pointed out how ridiculous it is that we flush out toilets with drinking water from the mains.

If all new houses over a certain size had to be fitted with rainwater harvesting for toilets and washing machines etc. it might start to make a difference.

I don't think Calgon would be very pleased though!

[kempie]

jake-the-peg... the OFWAT report of October 2005 estimates the leakage by Thames Water to be 915 million litres/day which, using your figures, is enough to supply 9 million of the 13 million customers.

Also the 151 litre per day figure you quote is actually per property not person.

http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/aptrix/ofwat/publish.nsf/Content/stats_on_leakage

[jno]

Thames loses a third of its water, according to this:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/05/21/nwater21.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/05/21/ixuknews.html

- far too much, I would have thought. I suspect London pipes are among the oldest and the hardest to repair, but I don't see why that should be an excuse. Efficient provision of water is their job, and they're not doing it.

[Dolly1308]

Why are people watering their gardens when it has been pouring down?

[admarlow]

why do we still pay the same water rates when we are told we are not allowed to use as much!!!!!!!!!

[Gef]

The water companies knew what they were taking on when they took over. However, they don't want to pay for any improvements since it would affect their profits. They are hoping that the government will be sympathetic. Pxxs off I say.