Hidden Well, Well Hidden!

[bill1953]

They do have charges in Wales and Scotland but it's from the respective water boards. In England every new home has to have a meter fitted. Some homes still don't have one but once you have one fitted it's in for life.

[oldfella]

In our village, we have a source, which is tested every year by the village Council, and the whole village use it as bottled spring water. (Self Service of course)

[Davie Crockett]

On the subject of water rates in the UK....

Do you know that you are automatically charged on your bill for rainwater runoff into the sewage system. If your house has soakaway drainage from your gutters, you are entitled to have almost half of your bill waived (It was for us anyway).

Worth checking!

[Thomzo]

In England we still have a mixed system. All new houses and conversions have to have a water meter fitted. The owners of older houses have the choice to have a meter but don't have to have one unless already fitted when they moved in. If you buy a house now that doesn't have a meter, the water company will try to persuade you to get one fitted. If you don't have a meter then you get a standard rate based on the size of the house (I think - I've been on a meter for years).

Zoe

[MuddyWitch]

We are on a metre here & pay about half what the old fool next door pays in 'rates' & there are two of us +a washing machine. (He goes to the laundrette). We've shown him our bills but he insists he's 'not have 'them' knowing how often I bath'

MW

[oldjerry]

In England you only pay shedloads for your water if you're unfortunate enough to have mains drainage.A septic tank will save you quite a bit(similar size house to this in nearby village on mains drainage £560 a year,this place £110.)

As for charging for water you collect off a spring,that's ludicrous,at present we have 3, 4 years ago(when it was seriously wet) there were 7.

[bill1953]

In Eire the government demands that all septic tanks be registered this year so they can be inspected. What if they are not up to scratch? Will there be grants or does the poor householder fork out for improvements? And what if you can't afford them? Will they condemn it and forbid it's use and put us back in the shovel and quick lime brigade?

[Odsox]

What annoys me about this .... no, what REALLY REALLY annoys me about this, is that us country dwellers are supposed to conform to these EU septic tank regulations when the damned government can't get their own councils to conform.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0216/water.html

What also REALLY REALLY annoys me as well is the new housing tax, quite apart from having to volunteer to register or be fined AND having to search for the web site in question, is their smug insistence that it is for everyone's benefit;
Quote >> In Ireland, local authorities are responsible for, among other services, public parks; libraries; open spaces and leisure amenities; planning and development; fire and emergency services; maintenance and cleaning of streets and street lighting. These facilities benefit everyone.
My Quote >> These facilities benefit townies ONLY
There are none of the above within 20 miles of our house, if we had a fire it would take the fire brigade 45 minutes to get here, street cleaning ... well it does rain occasionally, and we are supposed to pay the same as those living in towns and cities, next door to said amenities.

Sorry, rant over.
I was feeling slightly miffed.

[the.fee.fairy]

Was you mate the one in the paper who found a 200 year old well under his kitchen?

I'll see if i can find the article. The well is beautiful, it's just a shame that the bloke who owns the house in the article is planning to build his kitchen on top Some people have suggested that he put a glass floor on.

[bill1953]

No wasn't me but I would love to find one! There was one found years ago inside the Dinorben Arms at Bodfari, North Wales. They put glass over it. The pub dates from the 1640's. Sadly I believe it's closed and boarded up now.