Some people are unbelievable

No, you're not being unreasonable, kittylester. We haven't yet got a hosepipe ban but Severn Trent Water are asking people to be careful with water. We are keeping bowls in sinks so that hand-washing water or any water from running the tap goes into them - and a bucket under the shower. We then empty the bowls into a bucket kept for the purpose. Almost-full buckets are taken outside and emptied into watering cans to water the plants. I'm amazed at how much water we collect this way, and it's plenty to keep up with watering all my pots and the more critical garden plants.

I agree that the water companies in general haven’t done enough to renew and update supply pipes in favour of giving profits to their shareholders. We’re not too badly served in Norfolk and have been told that, after a wet winter, all the reservoirs and aquifers are full so there’s no problem. But, we are on a water meter. They’ve been very keen on fitting them around here. So we’ve got into the habit of being careful with how much we use. Our bath is quite narrow (I can’t grow more than a size 18 or I won’t fit!) so I’m another one who uses less water in the bath than in a shower. We’ve been watering the bits of the garden that need it - not the big established shrubs - two or three times a week, just to keep in ticking over. The lawn is now brown.

Dishwashers are more water and energy efficient than hand washing pots.

We never use a hosepipe on the garden but I draw the line at using shower water to flush the toilet. If the water companies fixed all the leaks we would not be in this predicament. Having said this I will of course be careful with water usage What about dish washers, have others here stopped using theirs? I have reverted to washing up by hand.

My water is metered and I'm married to a compulsive recycler, so I do my bit to both conserve and recycle. However, I do think the profits made from water are obscene in view of the lack of resources that are put back into the system. Severn Trent's profit before interest, tax and exceptional items was 541 million pounds for the year ended March 31 2018, AND in addition to their excessive profits they got 80 million pounds from the government for meeting their service delivery outcomes. They plan to invest a comparatively measly 100 million in the five year period from 2020 to 2025 while the shareholders laugh all the way to the bank (if they can find one that's still open on the local High Street).
That is just one water company.

I used to live in Arizona where it rained twice a year- one day in January and one day in May/June! Admittedly, it was like a monsoon but, literally, it was just two days. The empty river beds filled up in hours. Most homes had an automatic sprinkler system for their lawns which came on every day, some twice daily. Everyone's lawns were lush green throughout the year; there was no water shortage. It's called great water management. Something this country's water companies seems rubbish at!

Now I see the benefit of letting the "lawn" get quite so full of moss - the mossy end looks a lot greener than the grassier end! I wouldn't dream of watering it anyway. Far too much like hard work as well as a terrible waste of water.

We had a woman from South Africa working here, and we all had to rush around after her switching electrical appliances off standby and opening windows rather than switching on a fan, as she was so used to cheap electricity, but she was very, very careful with water!

I think it’s a difficult one, and we conserve water where we can in our house, and use conserved water for the garden. BUT we live on an island surrounded by water, and countries like Australia, etc, have invested in proper desalination plants to get enough water where it is needed. We haven’t!

Since privatisation of the water companies in this country, these selfish water companies have sold and destroyed reservoirs, have sacked all their staff who worked throughout the year discovering and mending small and discrete water leaks before they became huge leaks. Some industries in this country are extremely profligate with water.

The selfish people are the senior managers and share holders of the privatised water companies who continue to do whatever they want to make money without giving a hoot for anyone else. In a civilised urban society like ours we MUST have water, it should be free and people could pay extra for water to use as they wish in their gardens, car washing, etc. No need for drinking water to be used in garden sprinklers! ? ? ?

At least I don't have nappies to wash this time!

I think that’s what we’re going to do too Jalima.
We may not need to be careful but it’s always said that you only regret what you don’t do.
If it pours with rain soon and our economies were not needed then we’ve lost nothing. Maybe saved a few pennies.

I did suggest to DH that we he could half fill the rainwater tub and let it settle. Someone also suggested using Sequestrine in the water.

No, you ANBU kittylester!

I didn't ask if I was being unreasonable - I'm not!

Apparently if you leave tap water overnight to allow the chlorine to evaporate the plants will be happy.

I never ever waste water as I pay for every drop , being on a water meter.
I havnt bought any bedding plants as yet as cant afford to water them.

Which brings me to the point of!! my neighbours" who only seem to chat to me prior to asking me to do something" but are ok neighbours, shoved a note through my door saying they are away for the week and asking me to water their! plants!
With my! paid for water...huh...

There are some very valid points here about leaks, profits and I am appalled about the Fracking water situation all of which make me cross.

However, I am aware of the vast amount of water needed to fight fires. And there have already been some large fires, Saddleworth Moor being one. With the hot weather I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't more of this type of fire so who knows what that will do to water companies plans.

But as has been said, other countries manage in far worse conditions so somethings not right somewhere

I'll take GNers word that shallow bath taking less water than a shower. I can only get in and out of the shower, I can't get out of a bath anymore

Am recycling washing up water (and so using a lot less washing up liquid!), but have always bitterly resented shareholders taking profits from utility companies, and their short-term planning.

I have been using 'grey water' and 'cold too hot' to water the flower pots.
But I was a bit miffed today to have to report a big leak in the road to AWA in exactly the same place as 5 days ago.

We run cold water off into large used milk bottles rather than down sink until the wanted hot water runs through it’s amazing how much you can save for the garden plants. (Bathroom and kitchen) and use a washing up bowl instead of sink to wash up uses much less water and if just rinsing thing like salad & veg catch the water from that in the bowl too save loads or should l say gallons.

I'm another one who reckons I use less water for my bath than many use for a shower.
I don't take too long in the shower as I have short hair now.

There's no water left in our rain butts though and not all plants like tap water.
I watered the garden just outside with the water I used to wash the salad - no bother at all.

As one of those on the hoarders thread who owned up to keeping a supply of water, I can confirm we are steadily drawing on the reserve!

We haven’t been asked to either. It just seems to make sense to be more careful.

Sounds sensible Kathyd. But we haven't been asked to conserve water in this area yet.

I seriously think that despite the valid argument that Water companies are run for profit and do pay shareholders (it was a political decision to sell them of not based on how much rain we get!) we should start to view water as a finite resource. Yes, we still get rain and our UK climate is relatively mild but as a planet we are in trouble and I fully believe in the 'every little helps' idea. We can't just say its someone else's fault EVEN IF IT IS we must all adapt our lifestyles and take care of this life sustaining vital commodity.

Well I have not used the hose once, I do think it very selfish to do so.
The grass will recover hopefully. I do however, save almost every drop of water I use if it hasn't got harmful chemicals in it. I put it into watering cans and containers and use it to water the pots I have and my lovely roses, all of which are thriving. Showers are no more that 4/5 minutes. I look at my lawns and they look dreadful but when the rains do one it is surprising how well they soon start to look better. It is not nice to have rationing and dome people only take notice when nothing comes out of the tap. What does make me a little cross are the number of really bad leaks in the roads due to not enough money being put into updating old pipe work.

When asked to conserve water I don't have a bath or shower. I strip wash instead. Just as effective.