Plenty of Water in Peterborough

Sarah Rowland from Anglian Water brings news that that despite the dry weather there is no water shortage in Peterborough and a hosepipe ban is not necessary at this time. Broadcast at 08:25 on Wednesday 7th July 2010 in the Peterborough Breakfast Show on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

PAUL: Now for the first time in fourteen years a hosepipe ban is to be brought in across the North West of England. So what about us in Cambriddgeshire, one of the dryest areas in the country? It hasn’t rained for weeks. Sarah Rowland is from Anglian Water. Are we getting a hosepipe ban Sarah?
SARAH: In a word, no.
PAUL: Yes I thought not. Because I went to Rutland Water on Sunday and it was full.
SARAH: Yes. It’s about eighty five eighty six per cent full at the moment so it’s looking very healthy. And our groundwaters, the chalk and limestone aquifers deep beneath our feet, they’re looking in a good position as well. But you know the reason for all this, the reason for no hosepipe ban is because we’re used to being dry, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise to us, because on an average year we get about two thirds of the national average rainfall.
PAUL: Yes. I’ve been holding off. I’ve not been watering the plants. So just excuse me a second. (SOUND EFFECT) there we are. That’s better. So we’re all right to use our hosepipes?
SARAH: Well I would say always be cautious, because we don’t know when it’s going to rain next. If you’ve got a hosepipe why not put one of those squeezy trigger guns on the end of it? That means you’re only watering the plants that you need to water, you’re not trailing the hose dribbling across the grass, which, let’s face it, grass will recover as soon as there’s the first drop of rain.
PAUL: Are you surprised the North West is one of the first places to put a hosepipe ban in place? It’s traditionally as wet as wet can be isn’t it, in Cumbria, the Lake District and Manchester?
SARAH: Well they have a different set-up to us, and like you said, they are accustomed to an awful lot more rain. Here we’re not, so Anglian Water consistently has one of the lowest leakage rates in the UK. We’ve got more customers on meters, sixty seven per cent of you out there on meters, saving water, which is really very easy to do, and saving money. And people doing water efficiency on that scale certainly does help make a difference.
PAUL: Yes and I’ve got into the habit now whereas, just go for wee-wee, number one, don’t flush. We only flush when it’s poo-poo.
SARAH: And if you have got to flush if you remember a third of the drinking water that comes into your house actually gets flushed down the loo. So try and make your toilet as water efficient as possible.
PAUL: Put a brick in the cistern.
SARAH: Well if you’re going to put a brick in I would always put it in a plastic bag so that it can’t start disintegrating. But why not use one of our free water displacement devices you can get? Or fill up one of those half litre fizzy drink bottles with sand, put the lid on and tuck it somewhere where it’s not going to interfere. Or if you live in the Peterborough area you could be eligible for some of our retro-fitted water efficiency devices. So go and have a look.
PAUL: When you say retro-fitted do you come round in seventies gear and do it?
SARAH: Well we could manage some flares and things if you like. We can provide you, and this is free of charge, we can provide you with the hosepipe trigger nozzle, a shower reducer which just restricts the flow of your shower just slightly. That’s in conjunction with Eon, because they’ve worked out that if you’re saving water you’re saving gas off your heating bill.
PAUL: I’ll take the trigger. I’m not sure about the shower. I like a big shower.
SARAH: Well at least if you’re having a shower you know you’re not using eighty litres in a bathful. And something, a fantastic gadget called the EcoBeater, where you’re literally, it changes your old-fashioned loo from one big flush to a small flush, or a big flush, depending on what you need. So all these things could .. you know.. go to our website www.anglianwater.co.uk/wateraudit, put your postcode in, and you could be contacting us, you can ring us, you can text us, you can email us. We can pop round. We can give you a water audit and put some of these things in free of charge. That’s how keen we are to help customers actually use less water.
PAUL: Sarah I’m entwined by your voice this morning. I’m mesmerised by the offers you’ve given the people of Peterborough. I think I might be in love. Sarah Rowland from Anglian Water.

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