The answer to hosepipe bans will be to have meters on all properties and then charge people a small amount for the first X litres and then more for useage above that level. X will be set at a reasonable level for daily need. Then, if you want to wash your car every day you can by paying for the water. It'll be the same as the logic behind charging lots for fuel - if you want to drive a lot then you pay to do so. After all, we don't expect to get unlimited fuel for a monthly payment and yet that is what some people want with water.

Sure, water is free (it comes from nature) but it costs money to treat and transport. And then we need to make sure the shareholders get their share of course. We could just use rain water alone and store it on site and then just buy water if/when our tank is dry. They do it that way in New Zealand for example.


I think I'm trying to say "Get some perspective people: Water is essential to life. Clean cars are not..."  2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Maybe not in your world, ive payed good hard earned money as have many others for my nice looking motor, i am going to keep it looking that way thank you. But you are right about the water charge scenario, They really have shot themselves in the foot but they are trying to claw it back by putting water meters in all new properties. Also to bare in mind how many more houses and factories have been built since the water companies were established, thats the main reason our water supplies arn't lasting, too many people like me washing my big car i guess.

One of the main reasons we don't have enough water is wasteage - wasteage increases demand with no resultant benefit. People waste water - that's a simple fact. The water companies are unfortunately also wasting water by not getting all of the pipework up to a leak-free standard.

And I see your point about wanting to keep your expensive toy clean; but surely all of these expensive chemicals you detailing chaps buy mean the paintwork is protected and looks good for a few weeks between washes? So it doesn't need to be washed - you just want to do it. Which is fine but we can't always do what we want when we want. That's part of the deal with living in a civilised society...

And as has been pointed out previously, there is nothing to stop people fitting a water butt and using collected rainwater to wash their cars - at the moment you'd have all the water you could want!

What has been interesting, for me, is the responses I see from people over the last few weeks regarding the hosepipe ban. Common is the apparent belief that we have some ordained right to use as much water as we wish. Which would be funny if it weren't so serious an issue. If weather patterns change (and I'm not convinced either way on that BTW) then we might become a drier country and then we will see these water restrictions becoming the norm. Everyone will have dirty cars then...

If we ever get a summer this year then I'm not looking forward to watering my allotment greenhouse with a watering can rather than hosepipe but that's what I'll have to do I guess. I think I'll also get around to fixing the hole in the old water tank that I used to use as a water butt too - it's quicker to fill the can from it than the tap. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

http://www.the-daily-news.co.uk/2012/04/fo...-risk.html

 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed