The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: Backinwellies on July 17, 2018, 06:22:48 pm
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Ready to cry,
Still no rain
. infact just one small shower here in S Wales since mid May..... lots of us around here are on spring or well water and they are just drying up.
So off the water goes to Manchester and Birmingham so they can wash cars and water lawns whilst us here are struggling to find enough water for our animals, and in some friends cases, for themselves to drink. and apparently Welsh Water doesn't even have to sell us any when our spring dries up completely (so they can continue to water lawns in England!)
Only when there is a danger to health to vulnerable people do they have to find us some!
Our own spring is hanging in there so far but I'm very worried,
and the forecast? 2 more weeks without rain! :gloomy:
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Look on the bright side...or should I say rainy side instead? :P You are not as bad off as here in Sweden. No rain since the beginning of april and my well became the Sahara 6 weeks ago. Today I had 35 degrees in the morning, I just left the farm and went swimming with a friend. Was supposed to build a new chicken coop this summer, but it is just to hot outside.
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so where are you getting water for yourselves/ animals?
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Kind friends bring me water everyday when they pass on the way from work. But I knew the problem was coming, so I had reserve water in small tanks.
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so where are you getting water for yourselves/ animals?
Do you have/can you get an IBC and fill up at a friends who is on mains water?
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Same position here in Mid Wales.
We are about the last property up here that is on mains.
I know that at least one farm locally is now having to collect water from another farm for the stock and others having to take water out to the fields.
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If you are totally out of water, surely the Welsh water company has to provide you with a bowser? Isn't that what your rates should cover? Have you sought official advice or help?
We were in the same position here in Scotland, with our own not very deep well which supplies the house, plus half a dozen 1200 litre black barrels of captured rainwater for livestock and crops. The barrels were nearly empty when we had an hour of heavy rain, which added about a quarter of a tank to each one, which has been enough to rescue us. Since then we have had a couple of days of drizzle, which refreshes plants but doesn't get deep into the soil. Trees are dying, flower garden is crispy, grass hasn't grown for a while, but our stocking rate is low so livestock still has plenty to eat. If it doesn't rain heavily again then we will be in the same position as you are.
:fc: for :gloomy: :raining: :gloomy: :raining: for you.
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We have had some rain in the last few days. Not a lot but Severn Trent say they have enough in reserve at the moment.
I'm astounded that the Welsh water company don't do anything to help. When there was a problem with the water supply earlier this year, Severn Trent went round all the houses in the affected area, including ours, and left a number of bottles of drinking water. They were out again in June because a burst pipe left many houses without water. This time they had central points where they had water to give out. I assumed that all water authorities would do the same.
Hope we all get a good downpour very soon, preferably at night. I'm still watering my vegetables and flowers in pots but my poor fruit trees are looking very droopy so I'll have to do something for them soon, if the sky doesn't.
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If you are totally out of water, surely the Welsh water company has to provide you with a bowser? Isn't that what your rates should cover? Have you sought official advice or help?
Apparently not! They MAY sell you some but at their discretion. One friend was delivered a bowser for £150 but they are beginning to refuse because stocks are getting low! Local MP questioning this. MGM you are their customer so they have to provide water to you.
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I'm sure it's the same in Scotland - there was a very well publicised case a few years ago (some people may remember Stonehead) where a smallholder ran out of water. Scottish water were adamant that they had no responsibility to provide water to households that were 'off grid' the guy in question was finally helped out by the local fire brigade.
It is shocking in this day and age that the powers that be can't/won't/don't have to help households not connected to the grid. Worse than a 3rd world country....
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Do you even pay water rates if you use your own well?
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Find yourself some IBCs and bung them on a trailer, and pop down to a neighbour for a fill up.
Seen a few bowsers for sale on FB recently too actually.
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I'm also in Carmarthenshire and its getting ridiculous. My borehole is holding up for now (touch wood) and the stream is reduced to a trickle but its still running.
I can't really understand why you would assume that the local authority has a duty to step in and provide water though? Having a borehole means that I have a private water supply and don't pay any water rates. It doesn't seem fair to expect the water board to step in and cover any shortfall when I'm not their customer.
Many households who are on a well or borehole have the option to connect to the mains, but it is expensive, for me its just a risk you take
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Do you even pay water rates if you use your own well?
No
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I can't really understand why you would assume that the local authority has a duty to step in and provide water though? Having a borehole means that I have a private water supply and don't pay any water rates. It doesn't seem fair to expect the water board to step in and cover any shortfall when I'm not their customer.
sur
I don't
but I do expect them to be able to supply me with water in a bowser if I pay for it
they can refuse
that is the argument
.. which surely is better for them than if I buy some containers and fill them from a friends who is on mains but doesn't have meter??
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Yeah, that's what I was getting at, if you aren't a customer then you have no contract with them and therefore they have no responsibility for providing you with their service.
And there are plenty of welsh people who are wasting water washing cars and sprinklering lawns....so let's not be anti-english :)
(sorry cross posted, as i delayed in hitting Save!)
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Do you know where you nearest standpipe it? They are going to have a shortage of equipment, so if you can provide your own bowser and ask if you can fill it up from one of their stand pipes (at a ££) then you might have more luck?
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I don't know about "risk you take", but how about "risk you have to manage yourself".
The problem is, even when you do plan for the unexpected, something even more unexpected has a habit of happening!
Personally, I'd ask them now about whether they can sell you water via a bowser if your supply does completely dry up. If they say yes, then you know you have a contingency plan. If they say no, then you know you need to get some IBCs in, and an arrangement with a friend on mains water.
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Yeah, that's what I was getting at, if you aren't a customer then you have no contract with them and therefore they have no responsibility for providing you with their service.
And there are plenty of welsh people who are wasting water washing cars and sprinklering lawns....so let's not be anti-english :)
(sorry cross posted, as i delayed in hitting Save!)
Firstly I am English!! so lets not jump to conclusions here. I just think the government (Welsh, English and Scottish
oh and NI too incase I'm going to be accused of that too!)
. should have provision for the water boards to supply water, at reasonable cost, to houses on own supply which has dried up completely in these very unusual conditions
. we DO NOT have the option of mains water
unless we are millionaires... or pay 1000's for bore hole.
Please remember not everyone has the ability to transport bowsers even if you could buy one.
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This has just appeared on the Scottish news:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-44865968 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-44865968)
Help is being offered to people on private water supplies whose springs and wells are drying up because of the warm weather.
About 4% of Scotland's population is "off-mains" and the Scottish government says there is a growing risk of them running dry.
Ministers will make funds available to local authorities to provide emergency water to affected communities
Sorry, there is a link in there but I can't make the font size legible
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It was announced yesterday (Radio 4 iPM) that the NW of England is being put on a hosepipe ban.
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I'm sure it's the same in Scotland - there was a very well publicised case a few years ago (some people may remember Stonehead) where a smallholder ran out of water. Scottish water were adamant that they had no responsibility to provide water to households that were 'off grid' the guy in question was finally helped out by the local fire brigade.
It is shocking in this day and age that the powers that be can't/won't/don't have to help households not connected to the grid. Worse than a 3rd world country....
But in Scotland the water supply is NOT privatised, so the state can (and I think does) intervene, see this article on the BBC website today
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-44865968 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-44865968)
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Its the same for many around the country. Worth speaking to your local councillor or RABI to see what the plans are. Better get the facts correct. Many people are very isolated so bound to be in serious need. Many farmers are struggling to feed their animals and already tucking into this years fodder.
No rain forecast for 2 weeks here! Slowly running out of ground as no grass.
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I have rented fields with no water and I have used a 250liter baffled water tank,
https://www.tanks-direct.co.uk/250-litre-water-tank-flat.html?fee=3&fep=989&gclid=CjwKCAjwyrvaBRACEiwAcyuzRPOrz0PzPDUIJqWg-xU7nlJfn3vyxkKoMVT2qlbS_X9K3VpmDlIRvxoCSa4QAvD_BwE (https://www.tanks-direct.co.uk/250-litre-water-tank-flat.html?fee=3&fep=989&gclid=CjwKCAjwyrvaBRACEiwAcyuzRPOrz0PzPDUIJqWg-xU7nlJfn3vyxkKoMVT2qlbS_X9K3VpmDlIRvxoCSa4QAvD_BwE) , with and outflow tap.
I used a hatchback, and old citroen AX which I used to fill from home and drive down a track to fill my water trough. It is time consuming but its possible to do you just need someone who will supply you with the water.
Our neighbours are on a bore hole, the waters a bit irony so we let them use our water for the washing machine, and another neighbours got cut off through no fault of their own, so until they got a new supply we gave them water for their stock in return for hay.
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This is a problem for many areas of the country. Here in the Lake District even.
I can't see the government and authorities standing by and watching people and animals without water. It is a basic right for us all. It is however not going to be easy for the authorities either as the rainfall has depleted supplies so much. It is not only a hose pipe ban needed but a ban on these paddling pools/swimming pools that people have in their gardens.
Please be careful with stored water in this heat. Even water "goes off".
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Please be careful with stored water in this heat. Even water "goes off".
Also with stream water which has reduced to barely a trickle ...... Much more likely to contain dangerous levels of nasties!
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The heat and the drought effects wild animals to, one swedish elk hit the beach: https://www.thelocal.se/20180719/watch-elk-takes-a-dip-next-to-startled-beachgoers-in-sweden (https://www.thelocal.se/20180719/watch-elk-takes-a-dip-next-to-startled-beachgoers-in-sweden)
They are normally very frightened of people, but not right now.
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There are parts of Aberdeenshire where water levels are at what is described as 'significant scarcity' by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, which means that there may be pressure on water supplies. Please keep using water wisely.
We are working with Scottish Water and the Scottish Government to provide bottled water and tanks to those whose private supply is running dry, at no cost. This would normally be something that we would expect owners to source themselves, but these are not normal circumstances. We are prioritising requests from those more vulnerable in the first instance. If you need help, please contact the council by emailing environmental@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or phoning 01467 539539 (during office hours). The Environmental Health Service will respond as quickly as possible to your enquiry.
Long term, the service is providing advice on looking at future solutions such as support to help connect to the mains. If that is not possible, improvements to the current source or forming a new supply can be considered. Grants may be available for some of this work.
There are over 7500 private water supplies in Aberdeenshire serving approximately 11500 properties. This is by far the highest number of any local authority in Scotland.
There is some useful advice online here: http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/you-and-your-home/your-home/water-efficiency (http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/you-and-your-home/your-home/water-efficiency)
from Aberdeenshire council facebook
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I think the situation in the UK is not that bad compared to this one
(in Australia)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/19/you-count-your-blessings-farm-families-battling-drought-photo-essay (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/19/you-count-your-blessings-farm-families-battling-drought-photo-essay)
How are they allowed to let these animals live? In my opinion it just seems cruel to keep them alive
.
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EEEEK! That looks terrible Anke!
I'll confess, we're not doing too badly at the moment, but it's still hard to believe that this was the road to our place less than four months ago!:
(https://anoutdoorlife.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/image00007.jpg?w=768)
(https://anoutdoorlife.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/image00008.jpg)
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Raining (at last!) on the Hereford/Powys/Shropshire border. :excited:
Real rain. :raining:
Proper drops and everything. :raining:
Has been going for about 30 mins! :raining:
Like it actually might do some good! :raining:
Fingers crossed for everyone else too..
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About 30 mins here ...... Will prevent grass dying for a few days anyway.
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:raining: :raining: :raining:
Good steady rain from 11 o'clock this morning and still going at 9 this evening!
Finally!
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:raining: :raining: :raining:
Good steady rain from 11 o'clock this morning and still going at 9 this evening!
Finally!
Same here and lots more forecast. Barrels filling fast and even the fish are happy with fresh water. Shall we all be complaining about the rain soon or have we had a big enough scare? I hope anyone who's still dry gets rain soon.
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Well we got about an hours' worth
and it didn't do much, as the soil is still dry (when I dug the potatoes for tonight's tea)
, so back to watering tomorrow!
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We had some but not a huge amount. It saved me watering much tonight but some of my pots were still dry on top.
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Well got BBC Wales coming out to the village on Monday to talk to those without water
.. so wonder if that will get something done?