Our council owned site is slowly filling up with fellow allotmenteers and some of new tennents have took on plots that are some distance away from the nearest water supply of which they pay the council
for is there any maximium distance they should be expected to travel to get water ?
I doubt it... as many sites still don't have water. We try to have a tap per eight plots. :-\
We have 24 plots on our site and 4 taps.......this all happened before my time but I believe that the council provided the pipes and taps etc and the plot holders did the work themselves.
Maybe you could ask the council if they are willing to do something.They should do something for the money you pay them unless of course,you only pay a peppercorn rent!
We had 2 taps, for 51 plots, after repeated requests to council ... nothing... so we bought some pipe made some lockable standpipes and extended it our selves, we were advised on a visit to another site (different borough), If you need something done ... ask the council (documented) , wait... then do it yourself.
What does it say in the tenancy agreement about the provision of water? I doubt there's any obligation to provide a convenient tap.
we have two taps for 37 plots,no one has ever asked for more.we are big on saving rainwater and it does the trick ;)
Do any sites pay their own water bills?
If so, how much a year do you pay and how many plots are on the site?
Water bills for five of the six sites in Newbury are available and apparent consumption varies considerably, though I strongly suspect the high-consumption sites have leaks as their consumption continues through the winter. Per-pole consumptions last year were £2.05/pole, £0.41/pole, £0.53/pole, £1.62/pole, and £0.72/pole.
Quote from: Sinbad7 on April 03, 2011, 10:07:29
Do any sites pay their own water bills?
If so, how much a year do you pay and how many plots are on the site?
24 plots..we pay our own water bill....think it was about £240 last year.....less than what I pay at home!!!
Quote from: Sinbad7 on April 03, 2011, 10:07:29
Do any sites pay their own water bills?
If so, how much a year do you pay and how many plots are on the site?
all of our sites pay their water bills, it works out at £6.50 per plot per year
We reckon it works out at about £7:50pa... bills often in excess of £1000... but we are a big site with @180 plots. In a dry year our neighbouring site (212 plots) went over £2,000... :-X
£600 last year. 100 plots, varying from small starter plots to 15, 20 or 25 poles (but mainly 5 or 10). So, £6 per member. (And a water butt on or near every plot.)
Thanks all for replying, it's a great help to have some idea what the charge for water is.
So, how do you spread the cost of the bill? Is this reflected in the rents or are plot holders asked to pay separately for their water?
It looks like our site is going to have to pay for our water and I am sure there will be moans when the plot holder with half a plot is asked to pay the same as a plot holder with a large plot.
Quote from: Sinbad7 on April 03, 2011, 11:31:51
So, how do you spread the cost of the bill? Is this reflected in the rents or are plot holders asked to pay separately for their water?
Our water is all included in the rent. Hence full rent for full plots and half rents for half plots. Tenants whinge about rent increases but it is the water charge increases that are the main contributor to any rise.
We put in extra taps 3 years ago but had to pay for it ourselves from allotment shop funds. I think the council contributed a small percentage of the costs but am not certain.
Quote from: Sinbad7 on April 03, 2011, 11:31:51
Thanks all for replying, it's a great help to have some idea what the charge for water is.
So, how do you spread the cost of the bill? Is this reflected in the rents or are plot holders asked to pay separately for their water?
water supply is metered to all of our sites. all plots are 10 rods (well, most of 'em are) add all bills together, divide by number of plots, = water charges payable per plot = £6.50 for this year (based on last years bills)
water is charged separately, as not all sites have water supply
hope this helps?
All our water comes from the sky. No supplied water at all.
2 of the blokeys have wells that had been dug prior to them arriving on site.
Having no water means I garden differently - I only water in seedlings and from then on it they have to cope.
Probably would be different if I didn't have clay which holds the water nicely.
We have two taps for twentyfour allotments but only one tap can be used at any only time because the water pressure just goes when two taps are being used, also we asked two weeks ago if the water could be turned on, needless to say the request fell on deaf ears but I do have a standpipe key in my garage, ;)
3 tanks between 20 plots. Still waiting for them to be switch on :-X no separate charge.
But its tipping it down at the moment so no need to go and water this evening ;D ;D
Quote from: Sinbad7 on April 03, 2011, 11:31:51
Thanks all for replying, it's a great help to have some idea what the charge for water is.
So, how do you spread the cost of the bill? Is this reflected in the rents or are plot holders asked to pay separately for their water?
It looks like our site is going to have to pay for our water and I am sure there will be moans when the plot holder with half a plot is asked to pay the same as a plot holder with a large plot.
That was a bone of contention when we had a much lower rent and had to ask for a surcharge.. now the rents cover it so if you have a half plot or four you pay pro-rata.. :)
Anyone with no hosepipes but stand pipes, how do you stop people buying their own hoses and going when there's no one there?
Easy. You don't have standpipes, so there's no tap to attach a hose to. We only have water tanks, but there are plenty of them, so no-one has to walk far. Water on all summer - on a timer - from very early morning till dark.
Never had a problem with hoses - they're banned!
We have four taps and one small cattle trough for 74 plots, so we some times have to queue for water. hoses are banned
Quote from: manicscousers on May 13, 2011, 17:36:18
Anyone with no hosepipes but stand pipes, how do you stop people buying their own hoses and going when there's no one there?
have percussive taps. ( ones you have to push to open)
have it in the conditions of tenancy regarding non-use of hoses.
If you don't allow hoses, what about those plot holders who are disabled and elderly and can't manage to carry watering cans?
we are a very small site, only 12 plots, half and third size, I'm disabled, fill the watering can half full and carry it and there is always someone there to help if it gets too much :)
That's why we have plenty of tanks. No-one has to walk further than the next-door plot.
In the last year, we have put in 50 water butts, lots have taps on with more attached to them, just can't see why some people, and I'm talking about young, fit people, have to use a hose ::)
no water on our site. :'( you are lucky.
Troughs about every third plot. Hoses absolutely banned - if they were allowed water charges would probably be massive. Water butts getting very popular - so easy to fit if you have a shed or greenhouse.
We have 5 taps between 50 plots. Hose pipes are only allowed to fill butts though a few people cheat. Water comes from well, so it might run dry.
Soil drains very quickly very little water holding capability though water table reasonably high normally. I do a lot of mulching. But with only one evening of rain in 11 weeks things are very dry here indeed.
I covered one area with compost before the winter and the soil is still moist underneath and the straw on the strawberry patch seems to be doing a great job of holding down the water.
Some people seem to ladle on the water. Not many people mulch even their runner beans.
I think that people could do a great deal more to reduce their consumption.
We are a small site with 14 plots, can't use the 15th due to knotweed, and have about half a dozen cattle troughs between us so can't really complain. I actually quite like watering by hand, 2 gallon watering can in each hand up and down is quite a good workout and cheaper than the gym. Hosepipes are banned. Going to ring up some water butts off the shed to cut down usage a bit.
We've got about 80 allotments...no running water provided. We've got about 1/2 dozen communal wells on avenues and few plots and well of their own but genereally people collect the rainwater in drums..plenty of GHs and sheds around here.
Few chaps have water pumps and its mainly those who make use of the wells and they are far too deep for buckets and rope..
There have been odd 'newbie' who have suggested getting mains water on site..but 98% of members have said NO!..far too expensive..and we don't want water companies around sniffing who'd doing what.. ;)
I'm just another few barrell richer again..one of my neighbours works for local bus depot..they get their antifreeze and other that type of stuff delivered in those big blue barrells..once they are empty..I get some .. ;D...and once I got plenty of produce..he gets some.. ;) ;) ;D
Quote from: lavenderlux on May 15, 2011, 07:25:48
If you don't allow hoses, what about those plot holders who are disabled and elderly and can't manage to carry watering cans?
how do these folk carry home their produce?
can't carry a full can, what's wrong with 1/2 a can @ a time?
you can also get 2 full cans of water in a wheelbarrow
Quote from: tonybloke on May 16, 2011, 16:46:39
Quote from: lavenderlux on May 15, 2011, 07:25:48
If you don't allow hoses, what about those plot holders who are disabled and elderly and can't manage to carry watering cans?
how do these folk carry home their produce?
can't carry a full can, what's wrong with 1/2 a can @ a time?
you can also get 2 full cans of water in a wheelbarrow
Makes sense to this disabled gardener. As much as I'd love a hose...And I would..... If I can manage a plot (with help) I can get water to the plants.... I was in the ditch today filling a watering can..... Passed it to my daughters' latest who carried it over the fence and to the plot while I ambled round through the site.
There's not much we can't achieve, if we work on it together.
Our society wants us to use unclean run off water from the River the health and safety issues are untenable.
We have no running water either so its a matter of collecting as much as we can when it rains.
It seems allotments are low on the priorities of many a council.
Goodlife thanks for that tip. Realised I to have a Friend that works for a bus company first blue drums arriving Saturday ;D ;D
Have been told I can have as many as I need so will ask other plot holders if they would like some. I take it they probably have to pay to send them to the tip.
Quote from: Ben Acre on May 18, 2011, 20:31:22
Our society wants us to use unclean run off water from the River the health and safety issues are untenable.
We have no running water either so its a matter of collecting as much as we can when it rains.
It seems allotments are low on the priorities of many a council.
why is the river polluted? have you informed the environment agency?
No standpipes on our site - any water is either collected or, as in the last few weeks of no rain, brought from home in 20ltr tubs. Its a bind sometimes, but easily manageable all the same. Those with standpipes are lucky!! ;D