Topic: Watering dilemma - what shall I do? HELP PLEASE!!!

[shirlton]

Betty. If you are unsure about wether the council will carry out their threat then why dont you phone and ask them before you give the chap the letter.Its no good you doing your job and them just sitting back and not backing you up.

[Squash64]

Betty. If you are unsure about wether the council will carry out their threat then why dont you phone and ask them before you give the chap the letter.Its no good you doing your job and them just sitting back and not backing you up.

I might do that Shirl.  I'll let you know what happens.

[1066]

I've been reading this thread with interest as water charges can form a large part of rent, and are expensive.

Basically I want to wish you good luck in dealing with the chap Betty - like you I don't like confrontation but I'm sure you will manage somehow to deal with it and deal with it well

1066  :)

[cornykev]

Our site differs from SO many on here.     ???
We have a site sec and a newly formed committee of which I am part of, for my sins. The site sec can inspect plots, order compost and various other bits and bobs, but the council should deal with this kind of stuff and I don't think Betty or any one else on this forum should have to deal with this, I know I said we are a different site but the council have people paid for these roles.
We are not allowed hoses on site, there are no taps but water troughs of which we have about 6 for dipping watering cans, good exercise and as Elvis rightly pointed out its the wastage of water with the hose pipes that are the point.
If people did have there own water meters ( COST! ) how long before people, sorry thieves started using your water instead of there own, sad  :( I know but there are saddo's out there who would help there selves.
 :-\ :-\ :-\
 ;D ;D ;D

[Squash64]

Phew, I'm still alive!

The other committee member and I gave the plotholder the official BCC letter this morning.  Of course, he denied using the hose for watering crops but we stuck our ground.  Then he said something unbelievably stupid -
"Ah, you might have seen me using the hose inside the watering-can and watering like that, but that's allowed, isn't it?" ::)

This is in spite of the fact that there is a notice by every standpipe on the site telling people they can NOT put hoses in watering-cans and water with the hose running. 

It seems to be almost impossible to get through to some people that there is a limited amount that the Allotments Dept. can spend on water and it has already exceeded that by £12,000 because people use hoses for watering.

Anyway, the bloke took the letter home with him but I doubt if we've heard the last of it.  I've informed the Allotments dept. that we have given him the letter but haven't heard back from them yet. 

I hate this sort of thing.....

[Trevor_D]

Well done - and a very good idea to have more than one of you. Not only do you have a witness, but it indicates it's not just you being a bossy-boots.

We have to pay for our own water, which is why both hoses & standpipes are banned totally on our site. After our rent to the landlord it's easily the biggest item of expenditure. (And we're very hot at looking for and dealing with leaks. It goes off at night via a timer and is manually turned off during the winter.)

[Digeroo]

I suppose that being a self managed site you have to handle these kind of problems.  Do not feel bad about it.  He is the one breaking the rules.  

Hopefully the letter will act as a warning and he will stop.  Though my guess is that he will just become more cunning about it.  I think that you need to note down the time and date when you and other witness say the use of hosepipe.  Also make a careful note of the converstation and both sign and date it. 

I suppose if you have a system of individual meters you would have to have a system of individual locks.  Perhaps there is some kind of system which could take payment tokens so you pay to spray as it were. 

  

[Trevor_D]

How much would it cost to install individual meters on every plot over an entire site? Why should everyone have to pay just because the odd individual is selfish?

If he doesn't agree with a hosepipe ban then he brings the matter up with the Committee or - in the case of a Council site - with the Allotments Officer.

[Robert_Brenchley]

A lot of plotholders round Birmingham would pay extra for the use of a hose, and there's no need for individual meters. A set charge would do it just as well, then everyone would feel justified cracking down when they caught someone taking the mickey. As it is, I don't feel it's my role to enforce rules I wasn't consulted about. That's BCC's job.