dbd33

I had neither in the country. We have a meter now but it's not reducing any tendency to drought, there's a gap in the logic that says they do.

I can't say that parched earth is something I noticed when last in the UK, Belfast, in particular, seemed adequately dampened. Perhaps the problem is not a shortage of measuring devices but, as Alan2005 suggests, a lack of reservoirs combined with an inefficent delivery system; leaky pipes everywhere.

Souvy

I imagine I'm paying for it somewhere down the line. It's probably rolled into my taxes.

Alan is right. Back in the 90s, I did a consulting job for Ofwat on trends in garden watering. The privatised water companies were trying to blame water shortages on gardeners. The real reason was that they didn't want to spend huge amounts of money fixing the leaky infrastructure. As I recall, leakage rates in some parts of the UK were as high as 70%.

BristolUK

Curious, I just did some googling.

It seems to be a third with a government target to have most homes with a meter by 2020.

Former Lancastrian

To be honest I have not been back to the UK since I arrived here in 1988.
Im thinking of going back for a vacation will I be in for a shock or a pleasant surprise? Maybe some of you could answer the following question?

Is it still about a 3 hour drive from Preston to London M6 M1 route
Is Tony Blackburn still a DJ on radio 1
Are hollands pies and steak puddings still as good
Will I be able to rent a Ford Capri and park it safely in Liverpool
Are Pans People, Hot Gossip and Hills Angels doing dance routines
Can I still go for a donkey ride on Blackpool beach
Im guessing with inflation that petrol is now about 3 quid a gallon
Can I still buy a 5 pound bag of spuds and a quarter of roast beef
Liverpool won the league in the 89-90 season have they won it since
Is it still safe to walk around Moss Side after dark
Are Londoners still warm and friendly to Northerners much like the GTA folk in Canada
Are there still only 4 TV channels

or am I really out of touch

MarylandNed

Careful - apparently you're not allowed to use google...since you don't currently live in the UK. Any official statistics or news articles that you find online are not actually valid...since you don't currently live in the UK. Also, you're not allowed to obtain information from friends and relatives in the UK...since you don't currently live in the UK (even though your friends and relatives do currently live in the UK). Any information or opinions obtained that way are not valid...since you don't currently live in the UK (even though your friends and relatives do currently live in the UK). Even if you visit the UK or take an extended trip to the UK long enough to feel like you're living there again, and obtain information there and see things with your own eyes, that's not valid either...since you don't currently live in the UK. Also all previous experience you've ever had of the UK is also not valid even if you've spent most of your life there...since you don't currently live in the UK.

Of course, if you find anything positive about the UK, the above rules don't apply.

Alan2005

There was hose pipe ban in 76. There was also a serious water shortage in yorkshire (of all places) in the mid 90's. They had to ship truck loads of water from elsewhere - I think 1000's of them. I also remember the head of yorkshire water saying he could have a complete wash with a tea cup of water or something which caused outrage at the time.

Anyways:-

1 - I had a water meter in the UK; I do not have one here and I'm on city water (which is unusual for where I live, but a definite plus)

2 - If you have low population density you end up with lots of people using well water - I consider wells to be a much bigger pita than an occasional hose pipe ban.

christmasoompa

Why are you responding to me with that? I've not mentioned Google.

And being deliberately antagonistic and trying to provoke others *could* be misconstrued as trolling. Just sayin'.

christmasoompa

Now you've got me curious, so I just did some Googling as well - the reports I found with 30% of households mentioned are all from 2008, seems to be around 40% currently, going on the report done earlier this year by the Environment Secretary.

As I mentioned, it's now standard for a water meter to be fitted whenever a new owner takes over a water bill, and of course an owner can request one at any time and it will be installed for free. And if an area is declared to be one of 'low water supply', then the relevant company that supplies it installs water meters anyway.

I've now completely forgotten the point of the water meter debate anyway, but hey!

dbd33

Really? Isn't it the water meter penetration rate the second thing one notices on visiting the UK? Right after being knifed by feral youths who'd be on strike if they'd troubled to take a job in the first place.

BristolUK

Yeah, most were a bit out of date. But I found the 30% from 2010

Something to do with a brick in the cistern and shower sharing wasn't it?

christmasoompa

I think it's usually the fourth thing I notice actually, following the gangs of hoodies on every street corner, the illegal immigrants that we're being overrun by, and then of course the stabbing teens.

If it was to do with shower sharing, then I may just be interested again.

Geordie Lass

For info

I live in Yorkshire (born and bred in the toon tho hence the username) and you are right there was a shortage and we ended up with a hosepipe ban. Can't remember when it was but I was in the house before this one so it was between the years of 2000-2007. We were not on a meter in that house either!

MarylandNed

Unfortunately, since you don't currently live in the UK, you won't be able to find the answers to these questions. You could try the internet - but that's not valid apparently since you don't live in the UK. You could "phone a friend" in the UK, but that's not a valid source of information either apparently. You could visit the UK and see for yourself, but because you don't actually live in the UK, that's not valid either apparently. Apparently there is no way for you to ever know the answers to your questions unless you go back to live in the UK permanently.

dbd33

With me the first thing is the green. Seen from the air, London's very green. But then, I haven't been there since the summer, not since before The Dustbowl.

Tangram

Are you trying to be a tw@t or is it by accident ?