We have no mains water on our site only our own tanks/butts, how do other sites manage, I know that the council are on mains and charge a far higher rent than we do, have no restrictions on the amount used and don't charge for the members for water used.
When the bill comes in the council just pay it, and have admitted that the money from rents does not always cover the bill but they pay it anyway.
Are there any members out there who have hit on a fair way of charging members for water and has anyone had mains water fitted, we have our AGM this weekend and I know the question will be asked.
Thanks
we have water fitted, theres a tap as you first go into the plot.
we dont get charged extra to use it, its included in the cost £25pa for 12 poles.
i use a 25l water container to get water up to the plot as mine is the furthest and i use my son's buggy to carry it up there :)
The six sites in newbury have mains water and the cost is just rolled into the bill. On average water charges work out at a smidge over £1/pole, but when you consider that Newbury Town Council spend more on the Town Hall water cooler than the average site's annual water bill, and with their administration costs running at £37/pole, the cost of water is hardly their number one concern.
However, the water use analysis shows some unusual variation accross the sites. Three sites use water at around 50p-70p/pole, another site at over £2/pole, and one site doesn't appear to have paid for any water this year at all. Hosepipe use is blamed, but I suspect leakage is the more likely cause.
Water is pretty much essential, and any kind of control is needlessly intrusive. I suggest the minimum standard should be for everyone to have access to a standpipe, and if that adds £1/pole to the bill then where's the problem?
Though you could install one of these (http://www.syxthsense.co.uk/ecommerce2/product_detail.php?productID=1771&product_id=1771).
Unwashed that's scary don't give them more ideas of how to charge more :o
At present we have unlimited water on our site,there a self filling troughs at regular intervals.We are self managed and I assume pay the bill.I have suggested the club gets together to source a bulk order of water butts(hopefully cheaper in bulk)and a working party could install them for a smaller cost than buying individually. :)
We currently have no mains water on our site either. Most people are carrying it in in bottles; we are trading squash plants, courgettes and goodwill with a local resident (and fellow plot holder/cpmmittee member) for use of their hosepipe to fill our water butts. We're looking into costs of mains water (and a lottery grant to go towards it), sinking a well, and a bilge pump/central storage tank (to draw from a stream on the site). Something has to be done, as if this year is repeated water wise on a regular basis, then an inconvienience becomes a major problem.
I'm planning a greenhouse extension and water butt expansion project for the winter which should give us up to 10 butts to feed 30 poles, but I'm guessing mains water and a doubling of rent to pay the bill(currently £13 for 10 poles) is the way to go.
WE have a tap to approx every 10 plots. You can use the tap to fill your barrels if you have a long enough hose, but i got my wrist smacked for using a sprinkler :S Something to do with it upping the bill. Tyhe cost is about £12 a plot, charged separate.