[Lesley Silvester]

Especially if you're paying to have your car washed in dirty water.

[MikeM]

mind you, I've never understood this obsession with car cleaning. When we lived in herts I would, on the occasionial sunday, have need to go to the petrol station at the local supermarket. They would be queued 10 deep with more waiting to use the car wash. I'm pretty sure I can think of a couple of better ways to be spending a sunday morning...

[MAK]

I think those of us who know the importance of water for our animals and crops are probable more cautious how we consume it. Water meters help conserve but I agree that us collecting rain water or watering individual plants, rather than the growing area, is just a token saving compared to the waste reported above.
Water utility and waste will be a very serious issue linked to food sustainability too - it will be the economic consequence ( costs passed onto the consumer) that will hit us first - so get your water harvesting system started.

[suziequeue]

It's funny but since we moved to wet Wales with a private water supply and an abundance of rain - we have become much more water aware.

We have water butts collecting from every roof surface (numerous sheds and shelters) and the new house will have a grey and rainwater collection system for flushing toilets etc..... Mind you - since we have a composting toilet as well (and OH is under strict instructions to pee on the compost heap) we should hardly need to use the indoor toilets at all - I hope!!

Ironically - the way things are at the moment - I am taking dirty washing back to my digs in England on a Sunday night to wash and iron ready for return to Wales the following Friday.

We've used so little water whilst living in the caravan that the well is actually overflowing!!

[Mel Rice]

Here everyone is on a water metre. I was suprised just how much difference the animals and the garden make. After the first year we cleaned out an old underground water store. (I think it had once been a slurry pit draining from the cow sheds not used for many years cleaned out and the water in it looked ok.) We replaced the pond type pump use to empty  the hole and fitted a hose pipe to the end which reaches the whole of the veg patch. for the animal buckets I use a line and bucket from the top, well style. It all works very well plus the veg patch has doubled since year one.

[Sandy]

I have had discusions with my brother on this, he is going to get more water storage butts as he is soon being put onto a meter but also worries about all the leaks in the pips and thinks he will be paying for them!!! He, as my dad were plumbers so they have comprehension, dad was a water board inspector so was aware of all the underground leaks.

I remember a draught in the early 70's and that was hard as I had a  baby.This year I am not putting up hanging baskets as all the other plants in the ground can look after themselves!! I also clean out the pond and let it fill itself up now we do not have ducks, that worked last year so we will see if it fills this year.

We all waste a lot of water and should recycle our washing water etc but in this busy life style we lead, who want to take the trouble?

[Mel]

I am not up together on these politics as stay within my own little bubble,however,in 2010 financial year Anglian water made 87Million Gross profit.

So,if they make this much,why are there so many hose pipe bans,surely they can keep above it all,there were hose pipe bans in the 70's and 80's that I remember well,all those years of making huge amounts of profit so what are they actually spending it all on?

Obviously something is not right!

[robert waddell]

anglian water will not be britsh owned the profits will be going to the investors 

[Smalltime]

Small Beer.
In 2011 Severn Trent netted another £326 million in net profit (their gross operating profit being in excess of £500 million). Thats money from you and me.
From that £326 million (a £37 million increase on last year), £153 million was paid out to shareholders.