Drought

[Tony Baloney]

Water meters and Water bills needed in NI. Our infrastructure has been under invested in for years.
UK needs to nationalise it's water companies and start investing it's profits rather than dishing out bonuses.

A few simple changes that will make a huge difference.

You know rightly where that debate ends up.

Would water 'charges' be in your rates bill? So putting a meter is will reduce (I hope) your rates bill, but as pointed out by a few, the loss in your house to leaks is minimal

It's all very well paying water rates if the money goes back into infrastructure development. We had a kick up a few years ago about water charges but most reasonable people don't mind paying their way if their money goes toward an essential service. But as we have seen across the water is that CEO bonuses need paid as do shareholder dividends before there is any further investment capital discussed. When you have Tory MPs voting to permit water companies to pump shite into the waterways you know rightly that they'll never be held to account.

We have to find a better means of holding onto the water that falls from the sky for 50% of the year.

[bennydorano]

Water charges have been stopped in their tracks in NI a few tines, the current set up at NIWater was a structural reshape to enable a form of privatisation but its never quite made it that far. Not sure why people think it needs to be privatised, the current shit show in GB should tell anybody all they need to know about privatised water. Its chronic long term under investment, privatised water companies strip money away from investment. I think It's only private households who don't pay water bills in NI??

[RedHand88]

Water charges have been stopped in their tracks in NI a few tines, the current set up at NIWater was a structural reshape to enable a form of privatisation but its never quite made it that far. Not sure why people think it needs to be privatised, the current shit show in GB should tell anybody all they need to know about privatised water. Its chronic long term under investment, privatised water companies strip money away from investment. I think It's only private households who don't pay water bills in NI??

I think that's right. Businesses and farms pay.

[93-DY-SAM]

It's all very well paying water rates if the money goes back into infrastructure development. We had a kick up a few years ago about water charges but most reasonable people don't mind paying their way if their money goes toward an essential service. But as we have seen across the water is that CEO bonuses need paid as do shareholder dividends before there is any further investment capital discussed. When you have Tory MPs voting to permit water companies to pump shite into the waterways you know rightly that they'll never be held to account.

We have to find a better means of holding onto the water that falls from the sky for 50% of the year.

100%. There should be no bonus to the top cats or dividend payment to shareholders until these water companies have upgraded much of the infrastructure. I have a problem with paying for water when this is all ongoing and the people at the top are stripping all the profits out of these companies and then come cap in hat expecting the tax payer to fund years and years of underinvestment. These businesses need to meet certain criteria in terms of investment, fixing leaks etc before a bonus or dividend can be declared. It is amazing the number of these utility companies that reward incompetence.

Is it a cultural thing or what is it?

[imtommygunn]

It's just jobs for the boys. Couldn't care one jot about whether what they're doing is any use. Then eventually some other set of ones will come in and buck them out and that cycle will repeat itself.

[TabClear]

It's all very well paying water rates if the money goes back into infrastructure development. We had a kick up a few years ago about water charges but most reasonable people don't mind paying their way if their money goes toward an essential service. But as we have seen across the water is that CEO bonuses need paid as do shareholder dividends before there is any further investment capital discussed. When you have Tory MPs voting to permit water companies to pump shite into the waterways you know rightly that they'll never be held to account.

We have to find a better means of holding onto the water that falls from the sky for 50% of the year.

100%. There should be no bonus to the top cats or dividend payment to shareholders until these water companies have upgraded much of the infrastructure. I have a problem with paying for water when this is all ongoing and the people at the top are stripping all the profits out of these companies and then come cap in hat expecting the tax payer to fund years and years of underinvestment. These businesses need to meet certain criteria in terms of investment, fixing leaks etc before a bonus or dividend can be declared. It is amazing the number of these utility companies that reward incompetence.

Is it a cultural thing or what is it?

I would say its actually the opposite to the bit I highlighted. The incompetence is on the side of the people who set the rules. The companies know exactly what they are doing and do it well (albeit for their benefit)

Those companies are all regulated which in theory should place the minimum capital investment requirements on the company. The problem is that when the parameters of the required investment and capital expenditure is being agreed (usually once every 5-7 years) the companies spend huge amounts of money (£millions) on consultants and high paid staff to negotiate with two men and a dog in the Regulator who could not care less what is agreed. They are generally under resourced, want an easy life and when they are getting threatened by a team of London lawyers that they are  breaking clause 127.4.b of the Water Act you can imagine what happens. The Agreement gets signed off (usually to the benefit of the company) and the companies do exactly what you would expect, the bare minimum they are required to do under law and the Regulatory Agreement. If the Regulator actually paid some money upfront to get a team of heavyweights to set the parameters properly it might be a different story.

How much of the leeway that these companies seem to have in their obligations is driven by political influence is a whole other (stinking) ballgame.

[Milltown Row2]

It's just jobs for the boys. Couldn't care one jot about whether what they're doing is any use. Then eventually some other set of ones will come in and buck them out and that cycle will repeat itself.

Worse than teachers the lot of them

[grounded]

I set up an internet-connected weather station in my back yard back at the end of February and as you'd expect, I've kept an eye on certain stats. All weather's local and so info on it's own is to be taken with a pinch of salt, but July & August so far have according to my station records been comparatively dry months than normal at 45mm & 51mm respectively (I believe the average to be up in the 80s). OTOH, April, May & June - usually the driest time of the year here - were a fair bit wetter than normal, and it's probably this abundant Spring rain that has managed to keep reservoir levels sustainable during what has been a notable dry period with at least two different spells of weather breaking the 30C barrier, something I don't ever recall here before happening (even 1995 or 2018). Still, just because the water supply locally is plentiful doesn't mean that resting on laurels is an option.

IMO most new builds in where it would be practical should be required to either have a water harvesting system for non-potable water use, or a system to recycle grey water in place, as a condition for being awarded planning permission.

Out of interest there is an internet site where you can input weather data and view other meteorological readings from other small independent weather stations in your local area and wider afield.
         I remember seeing it and being amazed by the differences in readings in a very small local area. Essentially micro climates.  In fairness it was the Mournes i was looking at, and anyone who lives here will tell you the same.

[armaghniac]

I set up an internet-connected weather station in my back yard back at the end of February and as you'd expect, I've kept an eye on certain stats. All weather's local and so info on it's own is to be taken with a pinch of salt, but July & August so far have according to my station records been comparatively dry months than normal at 45mm & 51mm respectively (I believe the average to be up in the 80s). OTOH, April, May & June - usually the driest time of the year here - were a fair bit wetter than normal, and it's probably this abundant Spring rain that has managed to keep reservoir levels sustainable during what has been a notable dry period with at least two different spells of weather breaking the 30C barrier, something I don't ever recall here before happening (even 1995 or 2018). Still, just because the water supply locally is plentiful doesn't mean that resting on laurels is an option.

IMO most new builds in where it would be practical should be required to either have a water harvesting system for non-potable water use, or a system to recycle grey water in place, as a condition for being awarded planning permission.

Out of interest there is an internet site where you can input weather data and view other meteorological readings from other small independent weather stations in your local area and wider afield.
         I remember seeing it and being amazed by the differences in readings in a very small local area. Essentially micro climates.  In fairness it was the Mournes i was looking at, and anyone who lives here will tell you the same.

There can be big differences in rainfall levels especially when the rain comes from heavy thundery showers, once places get showers and another does not. The August rainfall in Dublin airport is 20mm higher than in the Phoenix Park, that extra 20mm could keep your north Dublin crops growing.