The value of water.

Acrylic-bob · 02-03-2006, 05:53

Certain parts of our soggy, green and pleasant land are, surprisingly, facing the second year of a drought. Indeed so serious has the situation beome that some parts of the South East are said to have less supplies of drinking water per capita than Morocco!

The solution proposed by the Water Companies is to apply to the government for permission for compulsory installation of water meters. Which means that they can charge for every drop used and rake in bundles of extra revenue.
For once, it is single people and pensioners, who use much less water, who will benefit through lower bills. Dover and Folkestone Water, the first company to be granted permission to install water meters, says that this is a fairer way to pay for water; those who use most, pay most. And I have to say that, in principle, I am in broad agreement with the idea. But that is not how it will work in practice, is it? Low income families with herds of kids, who use water as though it merely fell from the heavens, will be on the recieving end of state assistance, as usual. And, as usual, it is every one of us who will end up paying through the nose, via taxation, for their profiligate use of an increasingly precious resource.

What is worse, there will be no additional responsibility placed on the water companies to ensure that they collect more rain in future or that they repair the leaking infrastructure of water mains to prevent a widening of this ludicrous situation.

jimmi5bellies · 02-03-2006, 07:23

I dont think you will get any help paying your water bill if you are on benefits. They dont now, so i cant see them doing so in the future.

Do you have a water meter Bob ?

The last new build i lived in we had one. The water company demanded approx 30.00 a month DD for me and Alec. They said if i got into credit it would be adjusted the year after. Yea right !!!
I took a water reading and rang back after a month, i used the water as normal and i only used something like 6 pounds in one month but they wasnt prepared to let me pay that.

Sorry but in my opinion ...the water company is a rip off !.

Oh and im 90% sure that we still have lead pipes for our water !!! i remember getting a letter from either the council or the water board asking if we wanted them changed, we the tennant had to pay for it !!!!!

Acrylic-bob · 02-03-2006, 07:55

Not at home, but the bakery has to have one. We use quite a lot of water but, oddly, the water rate for the year was only a couple of pounds different from the bill I had to play for the council flat I have just vacated; yet another good reason for getting out of Huncoat.

SPUGGIE J · 02-03-2006, 11:56

The joys of living in the affluent south east nae water for drinking lawns cars and swimming pools. What a hard life not. They are proberly more able to afford it than those in the north. Any water we flog them should be taxed at a premium as it is as vital to them as gas and petrol.

chav1 · 02-03-2006, 12:24

bullocks to the waterboard ime sneaking into teh sports center for free showers and if that fails theres always the river stink

SPUGGIE J · 02-03-2006, 12:48

At least the Stinks cleaner than the rain that hits my napper up in my neck of the woods.

lazeeboy · 02-03-2006, 13:59

I must agree with most of the comments, but the real culprits are the water companies themselves, we read how pipework can be 100 years old and the water companies are themselve responsible for more wastage, more than any of their customers, through leakage. The solution is to invest in new pipework where required.
If the water, a natural resource, is allowed to be charged at unworkable rates, people will use less, flush the tiolet less, sewers will not be flushed and that in itself could create more problems.
Privatisation should not be an excuse to run down established businesses and then complain that they can't afford to invest to run the business correctly.

pendy · 02-03-2006, 14:00

To add insult to injury, the water companies reckon that each water meter will cost about £200 - and guess where that's coming from? Yes, the consumer. What's more, in London the water from the tap is undrinkable. It is flat, warm, cloudy, and tastes disgusting (it's no wonder the beer's not great). Like a great many people here, I buy bottled water. At least in Ossy I can turn the tap on and get a glass of clear, fresh, cold water that tastes proper.

BillGreene · 02-03-2006, 14:05

There are, of course, water leaks that are not being identified, but AIUI the amount of water lost through leaks in the Dover & Folkstone area, is minimal.

Where there has been a lack of investment is in the creation of reservoirs.

Basher · 02-03-2006, 14:21

Yet another excuse for the expense to be laid at the door of the consumer.

Whilst not averse to water meters, we'd probably save as there's 2 of us in our house and we're both very conservation minded, I do not agree with their compulsary fitment.

The issue in Kent has set a precedent for other councils to give the authority for water providers in their area to do likewise.

Investment in reservoirs, rainwater catchment and better pipework is what is needed.

I must remember to get some shares in utility companies

Margaret Pilkington · 02-03-2006, 15:43

If all the water leaks were sorted out effectively then there would be no shortage of water. I don't know if anyone else has noticed it but there has been a persistent water leak near Morrisons in Blackburn for as long as I can remember.......Now I know the river Blakewater runs somewhere in that district......but I don't think the leak is from there. Many attempts have been made to cure the problem.....but it always comes back. It grieves me to see water running down the grates.

chav1 · 02-03-2006, 16:13

so if a poor family cant afford to put money into the meter one week does that family have to go without water...?

i thought there were laws about everyone been given water as a basic human need

garinda · 02-03-2006, 17:05

I thought I'd be better off if I had a water meter.

I called the relevant number on my water bill, and was then told for about fifteen minutes that it wasn't really that good an idea, but begrudgeingly they'd send me a leaflet about it.

Apathy then struck, and I still don't have my water metered.

Neil · 02-03-2006, 17:47

Its a good job the electricity companies don't treat electricity the same way as the water companies. Just imagine the outcry if you had to cross the road through a puddle of electricity leaking from an underground cable.
What about gas? Do the gas mains leak like the water ones do?

SPUGGIE J · 02-03-2006, 19:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by chav1

so if a poor family cant afford to put money into the meter one week does that family have to go without water...?

i thought there were laws about everyone been given water as a basic human need

Not if profits come first it aint.