the floods, the water men and a bunch of accountants....

[difflock]

Sorry, I would argue thoughtless greedy ill-planned house building is the problem.

Mostly because (i) Developers like to build on nice level flood plains near the good roads, and

(ii) People also like to buy these houses to be near the roads and services.

And that pretty River view/setting!

And generally tip their waste into any handy hollow/sheaugh/dry stream bed.

We reguraly get the job of lifting it, it is clear it was tossed over the back fence, the resident then complains if their property floods. FFS!

It is a terrible shame that this is also the most productive farmland.

Now if they planned and built a new town on the side or top of an otherwise low value desolate mountain.

No worries about flooding, but no takers either.

Or do like the sensible continentals and build upside down houses with the lower storey for non critical storage (refer the Moselle valley)

Cheers

Marcus

[tuttle]

what about the water men?

 

they knew everything, from leaving trees, the wildlife, steering or opening certain flows with one goal in mind.

 

even the lock keepers have been given the push.

[TreePuncher]

My Grandad - in - law...if that makes sense was a "River Man", has told me many a tale of clearing the rivers and ditches, he done it for 30 years, he got such bad arthritis in his hands/legs/feet from the waders and gloves that the River Board had to pay him out in compensation.... This may be one of the reasons as to why there are no more river men.....

[Pat Ferrett]

I had a water meter fitted 1yr ago.

 

Since then I halfed my bill!

 

I store water for the odd outside use, not use my hosepipe since.

 

gas, electric and water are ripoff industries and give false information, I recently challanged swalec on mis-information in their printouts:sneaky2:

 

Your saving money atm but when enough people have the metres the price will go up.

[Mycoman]

Totally, water men, or catchment managers, should be vital to hydrological works and carry great clout in the planning process. They should be funded by insurance companies, which stand save billions in the long run. and by agri-environment schemes.

[difflock]

PS

Everyone but everyone should be oblidged to have a water meter.

If the neer-do-wells that have to be kept at our expense run up huge bill, fit a flow restrictor.

I am totally disgusted at the cavalier attitude to "free water" in respect of unfixed leaks, dribbling taps, hoses left running, gardening usuage, plus neglected frost brusts.

If it cost sommat most would respect it more.

They would certainly use less.

PPS

we are on a meter.

[markieg31]

I think the answer is to get your own water supply. That way you don't have to be subjected to the drugs/ chemicals that they treat it with. Some times my water can be coming out of the tap muddy brown colour, yet it still doesn't taste as bad as the revulting mains water!!!

[tuttle]

I think the answer is to get your own water supply. That way you don't have to be subjected to the drugs/ chemicals that they treat it with. Some times my water can be coming out of the tap muddy brown colour, yet it still doesn't taste as bad as the revulting mains water!!!

 

my harvesting water scheme does make my scratch my head, you can fill a 45 liter bin in 30mins from a roof drainpipe.

 

my bin, the water is clear and good for most jobs, i do understand to bird poo on the slates factor and acid rain....but is it really all that bad?

[Treewolf]

The root cause of the flooding "problem" is the same as most of our other problems - too many people.

 

The one problem that no-one is prepared to address.

 

Why do we need all these new houses? Why do we need such intensive farming? Why do we build on flood plains (there's a clue in the name)?

 

 

At the other extreme, the rivers Misbourne and Chess in Buckinghamshire have hardly been seen for about the last 25 years in their headwater reaches. Why? Excessive abstraction from the Chiltern aquifer - too many people.

 

And especially too many stupid people!