Stew is nicking our water

[Andy Hamilton]

So because of the bad sewerage by thames water what is preposed? That they divert water from the South West.

Ok so not a good title as stew is trying to conserve his, but this can't be an anwser can it?

[wulf]

You do get rather a lot of water in the South West - I'm sure you can spare us some! However, how are they planning to transfer it? It would be much better if Thames Water could get their local pipes in order.

Wulf

[Andy Hamilton]

If you popped round for a cup of tea then I think I would let you have some. In fact I might even strech to a glass of water and even fill up a water can for you.

This is to do with the national water grid to transfer water.

HOuse prices have also confounded the problem is it not the case that the flood planes have been built on and reserveoirs have been sold off too?

[Muddypause]

Not sure what the answer is, but I would like to say that it's not all my fault.

But it brings up a question of whose water is it? Is it right to say that water in the south west belongs to the people there? I mean, it rains out of the sky, travels over and through the ground, runs away in rivers, evaporates. Seems to me that most water is rarely in one place for very long, and it only passes through us.

In some ways we get the west's water anyway, because the River Thames starts out in the west were excess ground water collects together to form the river, before crossing to the east. And I have a feeling that Thames Water Co. already abstracts water from the Thames for domestic use.

I feel a bit sorry for Thames Water; it's true that there has not been enough investment in the water infrastructure here for many years, and it is also true that the current German owners of Thames Water seem set to make a huuuge easy-money profit out of it (Thames Water is for sale ATM, and in the complicated world of high finance, a company that is clearly failing at its task is seen as a good investment, and will thus command a high price). But the fact remains that they are now in the unenviable position of having to replace tens of thousands of miles of 100 year old rusty water pipes that are leaking and bursting at an alarming rate. I believe £500,000 per day is being spent on replacing underground pipes, and still they badly missed this year's repair quota.

Whatever Thames Water do, they are getting condemned for it from all sides, and many people are using it as an excuse not to do anything themselves - "Until they get their pipes fixed, why should I do anything to save water?" is a comment that you often hear around here.

[Shirley]

I've had water by the 5 litre bottle (multiplied by a few) from Jo and Ina :D YAY....

We are hopefully getting the water problem sorted very soon... just sent another email to solicitor so fingers crossed we can get the work done asap...

Anyone out there with a water pump? If the water starts pulsing as it's coming through the tap... what does that indicate??

[Boots]

Pulsing? Mmm... you mean jerking? My tank warns me with a bit of spitting prior to running out/when its low and begins drawing air. Or you could have an airlock... that will be ok while there isn't much water in the tank, but may stop flow when there is full pressure. If it's running then I wouldn't waste any water to clear it. To avoid airlocks always start with a full pipe or a totally empty pipe (Any water caught in a bend or loop can cause an airlock).

Maybe that is helpful?

[hedgewizard]

OMG, I hadn't realised anyone was actually spending money on this turkey. This has been going on in California for 100 years, and environmental groups and economists have been jumping up and down about it for the last twenty, but not for the reasons you'd think. The jist of recent reports is;

Water diversion is money-expensive to set up, and energy-expensive to run. It is set up to avoid having to make hard decisions about water conservation / rationing / population limitation in water-poor areas, and tends to divert water to areas where conservation is poor. The trouble is that diverted water comes at a high energy cost, which makes water conservation in the usage area MORE important, not less - but avoiding such measures is why the diversion system got set up in the first place.

As someone in government said just lately, "People have the right to fresh, clean water. What they don't seem to appreciate is that those rights don't extend to standing in a scalding hot shower for twenty minutes twice a day."

[Boots]

Well, I wish someone would hurry up and send that info to the Qld Premier. THAT turkey is diverting water from all over Qld and it is always for the same crew - South East Qld - which really means the Gold Coast, who cannot manage or maintain their 163500 megalitres! Gives me the absolute pip! Like they don't get enough runoff anyway!

Yet another damn dam debate going on at the moment with plans for another one in the near future. At least this crew sound like they are willing to actually fight the paper war. The last one was a total pushover. But hey - the truth is, I doubt any fight would be a winning fight, not against this government. Our environment is in a real bad way, but folks just don't seem to notice over here... I don't get it.

[hedgewizard]

I hear one of your politicos is touting the idea of storing the world's nuclear waste in the interior bush. Anything happening there?

[Boots]

You better throw me a link on that one Hedgie. They don't tell us that stuff. It has to get the nod from Bush and Blair first!

I wish I could say I was shocked, but that would be right up this governments alley. Right now the propaganda campaign has begun for the next war... The three of them are trying to rally local support and I am afraid the story is just the same. I guess they figure it worked last time. Only problem is this country's dictator really DOES have the weapons, people and clout to mean massive loss of life on both sides.

As far as I am concerned our landfill sites are literally bombs waiting to explode, anyway. Environmental awareness in this country is beyond a joke. The amount of chemical contamination confined in some of these places is just plain scary.

Bloody 'ell, it's probably already on the ships and headed our way...

[hedgewizard]

Sure thing. It's not as clear-cut as I thought, but here are some links.

Arius, an international nuclear industry association based in Switzerland, has said Australia is the ideal place for the world's nuclear waste. Arius was formed earlier this year to promote the development of international nuclear waste repositories following the collapse of the Pangea Resources group last year. The Association for Regional and International Underground Storage (ARIUS) aims to promote the concept of repositories for smaller nuclear countries which do not have the resources - or political will - to build their own waste dumps. Members of the new body include the Obayashi Corporation of Japan, Colenco Power Engineering, the Belgium waste agency Niras/Ondraf and nuclear operators from Hungary and Bulgaria. Arius said Australia had excellent, stable geology.

But...

Early in 1999 Pangea Resources released its project proposal to the Australian public, expecting this "to initiate discussions which will enable us to more fully assess the feasibility and strategy of our proposal on (its) merits." The initial response from the federal government however was to reiterate Australia's long-standing and bipartisan policy of not importing nuclear wastes and saying that there was no immediate intention of considering such a proposal.

Then, after only cursory consideration, the Western Australian parliament passed a Bill to make it illegal to dispose of foreign high-level waste in the state without specific parliamentary approval. Pangea continued its geological investigations in that state while extending its feasibility study to other potential host regions.

The politian I heard mentioning it was your ex-PM Bob Hawke. It seems that Arius has identified the two most geologically stable areas in the world as the Oz interior and Antarctica, and sold the idea to Hawke as an economic miracle for the next few centuries. A vast storage facility charging by the year? Certainly would be a money spinner! Arius is Swiss, so be very afraid.

If Oz won't have it (and currently the public won't) Pangea will probably turn attentions to Antarctica, but that would be far more expensive and far more legally complex. Time will tell.

[ina]

Not sure what the answer is, but I would like to say that it's not all my fault.

...

and it is also true that the current German owners of Thames Water seem set to make a huuuge easy-money profit out of it (Thames Water is for sale ATM, and in the complicated world of high finance, a company that is clearly failing at its task is seen as a good investment, and will thus command a high price).

Sorry, got in a bit late on this, but at least we now know it's "our" fault... (Just as well the Germans are not WC winners!!!)

I've always thought that it's wrong to sell these kind of commodities outside the country!

[Wombat]

Sorry, I need new glasses evidently, I missread ARIUS to read ANUS - maybe that would be more appropriate...............

Nev

[hedgewizard]

Wouldn't it be fantastic if someone could actually market glasses that made you see comedy versions of the real thing? I once misread a sign in USA saying "Arial Dispenser" (i.e. crop-duster) as "Anal Disaster"

[Wombat]

Ohhh Yeah!