World Water Day - Should we be saving water now?

AS we approach World Water Day (22 March 2012)each of the Water Companies in our region have had to produce a drought Plan by law and they have to consult with the public with regards to their policy.

The fact is that the greater public rarely take notice of these consultation options.

This year here in our region, we have been informed that there is every likely hood that the region will be facing a drought due to the lack of rain over the winter period.

Some Water Companies are already requesting their customers
to give consideration to reducing demand on their water resources.

The Companies have strong legal powers .Water Companies have the powers under legislation to impose hosepipe bans on their domestic customers, and bans on other non-essential uses of water among their commercial customers, through statutory orders.

If they have to bring in a hosepipe ban, this is the list of things you wouldn't be able to use a hosepipe or sprinkler system for.

-Watering a garden or allotment
-Cleaning a private motor vehicle or leisure boat
-Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool
-Drawing water for recreational use
-Filling or maintaining an ornamental pond (not containing fish) or fountain
-Cleaning walls, windows, paths, patios or other artificial outdoor surfaces.

Now is very much the time that Urban areas and their inhabitants could be thinking of way to reduce demand if the drought struck hard and water demand was forced into reduction.
Water Companies will inform you that you can help to cut your use of water in the home, such as:

-Using washing up and vegetable peeling water for your garden watering
-Only putting on the washer or dishwasher for full loads
-Using the shower instead of taking baths
--Switching off the tap while cleaning your teeth
-Keeping a bottle of water in the fridge for cold drinks, rather than running the tap until it's cold
-Getting dripping taps fixed.

For businesses, the activities below are most likely to be considered non-essential, and therefore, you wouldn't be able to do them during a ban:

-Watering of outdoor plants on commercial premises, for example, in car parks and driveways as well as in parks and recreation grounds.
-Garden centres and nurseries would still be able to continue to water stock that is for sale
-Filling or maintaining of a non-domestic swimming or paddling pool
-Filling or maintaining of a pond that is for ornamental use.
-Aquatics retailers would still be able to maintain ponds and tanks containing livestock
-Use of a mechanical vehicle-washer
--Cleaning of any vehicle, boat, aircraft or railway rolling stock
-Cleaning of non-domestic premises, including washing windows using a hosepipe
-Cleaning of industrial plant
-Suppression of dust
-Use of cisterns.

It is most likely that you could still use watering cans and buckets to do some of the tasks listed above, but Water companies would need your help to cut demand as much as possible. So, if you noticed or suspected a leak, they should be asking you to let them know as soon as possible.

I would urge members of the public to play a role in the monitoring of these scarce resources now. Take the time now to report a water leak if you know of any that exists. Lets also get the water companies tackling their own leakage problems. If you have had a leak and it has been left unrepaired tackle it now!
and if its in Wednesfield or Wolverhampton let me have the information and I will report it.

Water is a very valuable resource and we should be doing all we can to treat it like a valuable resource. Their are predictions that Water with global warming taking place, will be the next natural resouce to start a regional war!