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Water/drought on allotment
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Message 1.Â
Posted by whatalottie (U9072847) on Saturday, 24th March 2012
Someone on our allotment has just told me that water to allotments must be turned off on 6th April. I haven't heard of this, and I'm sure he has it wrong- I hope. I know that alllotment water has to turned off if there is a drought order, but I thought that that was standpipe time.
Anyone with more information?
Lottie -
Message 2
Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Saturday, 24th March 2012
A lot may depend on your water company and your location within that companies area-I would contact them for clarification.
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Message 3
Posted by BensGrandad (U7827628) on Saturday, 24th March 2012
Ours doesn't allow the use of hosepipes so I cannot see them not turning the taps on. They usually turn them on early April until September time.
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Message 4
Posted by Pumpkin_Patch_Paul (U14565900) on Sunday, 25th March 2012
Well the East Midlands is slowy turning into a desert......Personaly I think we are going to have a wet,wet summer.
PPP -
Message 5
Posted by 7magpies (U8108459) on Monday, 26th March 2012
Can't give you a direct reply, but for what it's worth; our daughter has just taken on an allotment (in Somerset) in which there is no water supply at all. I was very dubious about how this could be done, but when we went to look at the site we were impressed with how inventive people were in water-harvesting. Most plots have a shed with guttering to catch the rain and direct it into a water butt, often connected to second container to hold any overflow. Other receptacles such as baths etc are also used. Some of the sheds had big overhangs to increase the roof area and catch more water, and some people had just rigged up sloping surfaces, such as a sheet of corrugated roofing plastic that would drain into a container. So if it is cut off, don't despair!
From what I can gather, allotments are subject to the same controls as gardens, so there's no reason to cut off the water completely. I suppose you could ask your water authority, or look on their website, but that's not much comfort.
In the meantime, get a big water butt and fill it up from the hosepipe now, quickly! -
Message 6
Posted by spanishtom (U15206111) on Tuesday, 27th March 2012
I just looked at the Thames Water website - if they are your supplier, the hosepipe ban comes into force on April 4th. You cannot fill your watering can from a hosepipe either! You can use the tap though....There is specific information about allotments on the website.
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Message 7
Posted by arati (U14426424) on Wednesday, 28th March 2012
Veolia Water is introducing a ban on the domestic use of hosepipes from 5 April.. details on website - just went down to the allotment and found the post reg the hosepipe ban !! even in this early spring i used to rely on the hosepipe . Guess i cant put much stuff this year then!
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Message 8
Posted by BensGrandad (U7827628) on Wednesday, 28th March 2012
Our allotment society have just put up a notice saying that water will be turned on at weekends only and that people may fill their water butts from the tap with a hosepipe but ate not permitted to use the pipe to water the plots but that is a rule of theirs even before this ban. I assume that they have checked with the water company.
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Message 9
Posted by BensGrandad (U7827628) on Thursday, 5th April 2012
Our society have just posted that they have been advised by the water company that hose pipes are not to be used to either water the plants or fill the water butts.
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Message 10
Posted by grinling (U11581911) on Thursday, 5th April 2012
Look up your water co, mine aloows blue badge holders to use hosepipes on allotments.
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Message 11
Posted by BensGrandad (U7827628) on Thursday, 5th April 2012
So do ours but as I am not a blue badge holder it doesn't help me. Apparently the rules are the same for allotments as homes.
I wonder how enforceable a ban is because if you don't listen to the radio, watch tv, or buy newspapers you wouldn't know there was a hose pipe ban.in operation. I would have thought to make it legal and enforceable the respective water company should notify each account holder by letter. They make a fortune for their shareholders so could well afford it. -
Message 12
Posted by BaraGwenith (U14257539) on Thursday, 5th April 2012
Do you personally know anybody who is unaware of the hose-pipe ban?
Of course, if you ask anybody if they know about it they will immediately know about it, won't they? -
Message 13
Posted by 7magpies (U8108459) on Friday, 6th April 2012
That's a good point, about awareness. Other people aren't always a reliable sourece - just yesterday someone asked me whether we had a hosepipe ban here in Devon (no we don't). I'd have thought the water boards would find it difficult to take someone to court if they could reasonably argue that they didn't have TV/radio/internet or read newspapers.
I really don't understand why the ban doesn't apply to blue-badge holders, though. Perhaps you could find a tame one and drive them up to your allotment to help you with the hosepipe? That is, if they could handle a hosepipe - some disabled people wouldn't be able to do so anyway.
I also think that food production (including allotments) should be exempt from the ban. Farmers can still irrigate their crops, and allotments are just small-scale arable farming. -
Message 14
Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Friday, 6th April 2012
The chances of any blue badge holder having an allotment is highly unlikely-the rules are so tight nowadays that you really have to be virtually immobile to get one- certainly not capable of maintaining allotment.
I would suspect that they have exemption in their own garden because of the watering can problem-if you can hardly walk then carrying a can is probably not the best idea-the relaxation probably applies to the household not the badge holder so someone else can wield the hosepipe.
With allotment holders although I can see your point the problem would then be gardeners who grow food crops could say why can't they use hosepipe as well.
Sporting venues are also exempt which is going to upset a lot of people
As for pleading ignorance that is going to be hard to justify,on the basis that you never watched tv etc-a few simple questions would get round that-or a home visit!
It is one of those situations that those that are affected are going to have to live with-it is just a hosepipe ban not a watering the garden ban -
Message 15
Posted by Walewein (U15180711) on Friday, 6th April 2012
You don't have to be immobile to get a blue badge you have to find it hard to walk so many metres without pain. My father is as a blue badge holder could keeps his garden including digging it at his own pace bit would find it very hard to water without a pipe because of the walking back and to.
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Message 16
Posted by grinling (U11581911) on Friday, 6th April 2012
You can also use a water irrigator pipe in the soil provided it is on a timer.
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Message 17
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Friday, 6th April 2012
I'm happy to be wrong but being a blue badge holder doesn't necessarily give exemption to their own garden unless the badge holder agree's.
We had a hosepipe ban last year and big brothers wife refused to let him use than as an excuse, he had to water with a can like the rest of us, on the basis, he would normally water the garden anyway and she didn't want the neighbours thinking they were different or to have to explain her condition. -
Message 18
Posted by BaraGwenith (U14257539) on Friday, 6th April 2012
Sporting venues are only exempt if they are hosting National or International matches. So not local cricket pitches, golf courses or recreational grounds.
As it happens, nobody has ever been prosecuted, but it certainly makes the case for metering to stop the profligate use of water. -
Message 19
Posted by JohannaA (U15220024) on Saturday, 7th April 2012
Someone on our allotment has just told me that water to allotments must be turned off on 6th April. I haven't heard of this, and I'm sure he has it wrong- I hope. I know that alllotment water has to turned off if there is a drought order, but I thought that that was standpipe time.
Anyone with more information?
Lottie  I must admit I've been worried sick having invested heavily on my low income to grow my own not just in money but time and energy. A few years ago I started to think more about carbon footprints and chemicals for mass production (triggered by becoming a grandmother).
I am disabled and there is no way I can water my veg by watering can. I do as much as I can to save water from both the kitchen and rain water and use it wherever possible, but carrying water to that distance and so much will be impossible. I am not even sure how I can get water to my chickens. Surely there can be reasonable exemptions to the restrictions the government keep encouraging us to be GREEN. -
Message 20
Posted by As-If (U15116884) on Saturday, 7th April 2012
I think I read somewhere that the disabled are to be exempt from the hose-pipe ban.
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Message 21
Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Saturday, 7th April 2012
This is from my local water company's website
FAQ's 27 and 28 deal with the disabled gardener
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Message 22
Posted by BensGrandad (U7827628) on Sunday, 8th April 2012
How would an allotment society stand if a man or his wife /partner had a blue disabled badge but he didn't and like in my case my wife helps me on the site could the disabled one use a hosepipe to fill their water butt.
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Message 23
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Sunday, 8th April 2012
After reading the message before your's BensGrandad, the use of hosepipes by those disabled in their own gardens seems to be ok, me thinks you would be pushing it and may upset fellow allomenteers if you used the blue badge card to fill your water butt.
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Message 24
Posted by koala_girl (U12702629) on Monday, 9th April 2012
A water company would use legal action as the last resort not the first option. As has already been mentioned, nobody has actually been taken to court during previous bans. The first option would be to gently remind the person that there was a ban and to offer advice on how to deal with it.
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Message 25
Posted by BensGrandad (U7827628) on Monday, 9th April 2012
How can a water company take it to court is the ban covered by a law.
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Message 26
Posted by cufcskim (U14483815) on Monday, 9th April 2012
Yes, contravening temporary restrictions is a criminal offence under the Water Industry Act 1991.
It carries a tariff of up to a £1000 fine. -
Message 27
Posted by BensGrandad (U7827628) on Monday, 9th April 2012
That is fine but if you don't watch TV listen to the radio or buy newspapers how would you know there is a hose pipe ban in place., which is what started this argument.
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Message 28
Posted by cufcskim (U14483815) on Monday, 9th April 2012
The legal requirement is to publish an advanced notice in at least TWO newspapers circulating locally and their website.
As for your unlikely fantasy scenario, Ignorantia juris non excusat, ignorance of the law is no excuse. (Warnings are given prior to action, so ignorance cannot be pleaded eitherway).
And a slight correction, Section 76 of Water Industry Act 1991 replaced by Section 36 Flood and Water Management Act 2010 -
Message 29
Posted by BensGrandad (U7827628) on Monday, 9th April 2012
Now we get to the nitty gritty the water company would in fact send a letter to an offender advising them of the ban. Should they not have to do this [prior to imposing the ban or even revert to the old days of elections when vans drove around the area with loud speakers.
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Message 30
Posted by kate1123 (U14824475) on Monday, 9th April 2012
Last week one of the broadsheets said that you could use a seep hose, but with no mention of a timer, how would that stand up as your defence?
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Message 31
Posted by koala_girl (U12702629) on Tuesday, 10th April 2012
Would you really want your water company to spend money writing to every customer individually to tell them about the hosepipe ban? I think that would cause more complaints.
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Message 32
Posted by gaffelbiter (U14481810) on Tuesday, 10th April 2012
So thankful that we don't have any restrictons here in Edinburgh. A gardening nightmare I imagine. Our taps were turned on earlier than usual....though I don't want to rub it in !
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Message 33
Posted by Braidman (U11753668) on Wednesday, 11th April 2012
.
On Maundy Thursday I was spiking my rear lawn to try and get some air into the soil to help dry it out!
Over the weekend and up to yesterday (Tuesday) there was more rain than was needed, the water was running off onto the path and all the water butts have been over flowing!
The south and east may be dry but here, up north, Scotland and Northern Ireland are praying for a bit of sunshine as they and us here have had more than our fill of rain! -
Message 34
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Friday, 13th April 2012
This hose pipe ban may not be as bad as you guys think it's going to be...
When we had the ban last year in the NW it rained everyday bar two for the duration of the ban
The reason given for the NW hose pipe ban and you guys down south not having one, was due to our reserviours being mainly open air and the water had evaporated due to the warm wheather. Apparently your water is obtained primarily from underground springs so not open to the eliments as ours is, so even if you guys have a warm summer providing it rains at the source of the springs you should be ok.
That's probably not very reassuring...but I tried....
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Message 35
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