Here in Lincolnshire , it is a rainy day .So before going out on my daily ten miles on my pedal bike , I had a look outside to assess the weather . It was raining , but so lightly that I decided against putting my waterproof trousers .Half a mile from home it was raining a bit more heavily , so I stopped to put them on . In heavy rain , I wear a pair of hiking gaiters , which keep my socks and trainers dry , but they are difficult to put on unless you are sitting down , so I did not bother . I arrived home later with wet feet . I got to thinking how long ago I last wore rain gear . It is at least 6 weeks I think . I know we had snow , but it was dry .I have the advantage that being retired , I can choose my journey times , but it must have been a dry winter . Even February was dry . The Farmers have been calling out for rain , and so have the water board . What have other people in other areas experienced ?
Dry Winter .
- Thread starter neptune
- Start date
We are really lacking rainfall in the south east, but still get the morning dampness, odd fine drizzle and damp air. As a countryside walker it's very evident how that maintains paths in a permanent muddy state, so I wouldn't say dry weather, just lacking real rain of the sort that fills reservoirs.
Today has attempted to rectify that though.
Today has attempted to rectify that though.
Thoroughly confuses me how Spain manages water supplies no problem.....even in the hot deep south where I was....and the UK just cant seem to get its act together.....there is something wrong somewhere.....
Lynda
Lynda
We ran pipelines the length of the country to shift North Sea oil about, we've run a gas pipeline from Norway, but water? No, not enough money in it.
In fairness they do have big problems Lynda, even a program on TV about it a while ago. One eastern region was blocking attempts to pipe water to the parched south, not wanting to lose any of it's not too plentiful supplies. The southern agriculture has real problems and is concerned about how it is steadily worsening there. Watering tourist facilities like golf courses doesn't help either.Thoroughly confuses me how Spain manages water supplies no problem.....even in the hot deep south where I was....and the UK just cant seem to get its act together.....there is something wrong somewhere.....
Lynda
Maybe, Flecc,
but the fact is that in 14 years there we never ever had house water shortages, they have an excellent irrigation system from the lakes above us right down the Guadalorce valley, which is all fruit trees, several golf courses and plenty tourists all year.....there are plenty deep bore holes and wells, never mind all the reservoirs.....and yes, they all moan about 'whether' they will have enough water, but the truth is ...they still do have it even during the summer when the demand is enormous......and seemingly still much more than in the UK.
The worst we ever had to put up with was having our irrigation water for the land restricted to certain days and hours, but still enough to keep all our fruit trees alive during the blistering summers
....we seriously need to start conserving the plentiful rainfall that this country has....there is too much lost through lack of pipe maintenance for a start and general lack of decent infrastructure and finance.........basically , a good resource is going to waste and its a disgrace.........
Lynda
but the fact is that in 14 years there we never ever had house water shortages, they have an excellent irrigation system from the lakes above us right down the Guadalorce valley, which is all fruit trees, several golf courses and plenty tourists all year.....there are plenty deep bore holes and wells, never mind all the reservoirs.....and yes, they all moan about 'whether' they will have enough water, but the truth is ...they still do have it even during the summer when the demand is enormous......and seemingly still much more than in the UK.
The worst we ever had to put up with was having our irrigation water for the land restricted to certain days and hours, but still enough to keep all our fruit trees alive during the blistering summers
....we seriously need to start conserving the plentiful rainfall that this country has....there is too much lost through lack of pipe maintenance for a start and general lack of decent infrastructure and finance.........basically , a good resource is going to waste and its a disgrace.........
Lynda
In many areas, including mine, this is a red herring though. We have Thames Water's very large scale pumping station at the end of the road, getting well water from the Downs area. It's one of a large number of such stations around London, only some of our water comes from the Thames. The water from any pipe leaks just goes back down though the permeable chalk into the aquifer again, so all that's lost is a little pumping effort, but no water has gone.....we seriously need to start conserving the plentiful rainfall that this country has....there is too much lost through lack of pipe maintenance for a start and general lack of decent infrastructure and finance.........basically , a good resource is going to waste and its a disgrace.........
Lynda
We just don't have enough rainfall in the south, but that's where the bulk of the population is. In our worst drought year, 1976, we had 38.1 mm of rainfall though the whole summer to supply 20 million people, and the winters either side weren't too productive either. That was when we weren't allowed to wash cars at all except for the glass areas. Southerners wash as well which doesn't help, but we were advised to bath with a friend.
Rained here today in Barcelona, positively chucked it down, mind you that was it for most of the winter although we are now entering the rainy season so the next 3 to 4 weeks will be wet then Sun all the way to October....
Well its been raining here all day in Cambridge as it probably is elsewhere given that we are all sat here posting on the forum
Regards
Jerry
Regards
Jerry
The population has of course increased since my childhood back in the 1950s . Houses in rural areas used a lot less water then . Taking a bath was a weekly affair involving a tin bath in front of the fire , and one lot of water served all the family . Hand washing of clothes used much less water .Water for washing and laundry came from a soft water system , run-off water from the roof . An automatic washing machine , using multiple rinses can use up to 20 gallons of water for each wash load . No water was used for flushing toilets . The bucket and chuck it system prevailed . It helped the rhubarb to grow . though . I guess that grey water recycling will become more common , if not compulsory .
A big pipeline has recently been finished carrying what was liquified gas from Milford Haven to Gloucester . They should do the same for water from the areas of high rainfall . Trouble is that the areas of high rainfall are in areas constantly slagged off by the population of London and the SE for constantly having to be subsidised by them . Perhaps the SE should be nicer to their fellow Brits , since we are all in it together as stated by our glorious leader .
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