Allotments 4 All

Quote from: keef on April 04, 2006, 13:08:40


I understand that the water authority will still charge you for water from your own  pond?? what about if you lived off water collected in butts??

Hi Keef,

Depends on what is the cheapest option for the waterboard, in my garden I have a 50' x 70' pond, in which the rain water from three houses and the road outside collects, when it reaches a certain height it overflows into another pipe and is lead away to the normal rain collection system.  On my house deeds it states that I own the land but the water authority own the water.  So I contacted the water authority to come and repair the pond edges and banks as the water was undercutting them.  Suddenly they no longer own the water it belongs to the council, no says the council it's not ours it's the house owners.  This summer I intend to use the water from the pond to water the veg patch using a sprinkler system, I'm hoping a neighbour will report me, otherwise I have to get the OH to do it.  If they fine me then they own the water and they can come and fix the pond banks, estimated cost 20 pounds per foot, which is a lot dearer than any fine. I bet I don't hear from them.

I just phoned Thames Water and asked,

Me - Is it OK to connect a hosepipe to the outlet of a water butt?

TW - Yes.

Me - Is it OK to fill a water butt with short length of hosepipe, from the mains?

TW - um...Yes.

Me - OK, thankyou - bye.


;D ;D

Happy watering.

Quote from: keef on April 04, 2006, 13:36:47
I just phoned Thames Water and asked,

Me - Is it OK to connect a hosepipe to the outlet of a water butt?

TW - Yes.

Me - Is it OK to fill a water butt with short length of hosepipe, from the mains?

TW - um...Yes.

Me - OK, thankyou - bye.


;D ;D

ooh - that is interesting. We're thames water too. Last year I was mostly using the hosepipe to fill the waterbutt anyway (and water the spuds, but obviously won't be doing that this year). It just doesn't make sense that they allow waterbutt filling. I'm confused.

(second butt ordered last week - hopefully it'll arrive before the spring rains end!)

Thanks, Mike, for mentioning the 'You and Yours' item - I missed a lot of it, but it's well worth listening to the whole item again with the Beeb playback thingy facility. Gotta be a must for lottie holders, as (the bit that I heard) questioned the legality of imposing a hosepipe ban on council-owned properties which were rented specifically for growing food. May have got some of the above wrong - which is why I'm going to listen to it again ;D ;D ;D

And, Mike, well done with your pond strategy. What's right's right.. 8)

Simple water absorbing 'pellets' that you put in composts - especially for troughs & hanging baskets.

Oh, dear - didn't see page 2 - that was for Sally!

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Quote3valleys official stance is:

"the ban applies to the watering of a private garden and allotments do not fall within this category

...  however the water has not yet been turned on this year for the allotments ... so don't think I will hold my breath  ???