Old Park Farm Garden Holders Association

First of all a big thank you to those of you who have complied with our requests to cut back on water usage. The amount of water being used is being monitored on a daily basis and over a weeks measurement, we are still using over £200 pounds worth of water per week. The amount of cubic meters of water used in comparison to other years is mind-boggling and unsustainable. If the heat wave continues without regular consistent rainfall this will have a massive effect on our ability to spend any money for the rest of this year and next year.  Our bill is already well over double the amount we put aside each year to cover the water charges. There are some who are continuing to use an average weather years water on their gardens and using sprinklers/ oscillators. We have considered a number of options the first of which is to ask for your support in reducing your own individual water consumption on site.

1. No Sprinklers/Oscillators to be used.
2. Hosepipes can be used at the moment to fill water barrels and then the water used to fill watering cans. Which target crops better.
3. If you must use a hose because you have no storage. Target the plants. Watering a pathway is unnecessary as is watering weeds which should be kept to a minimum to allow vegetables some chance to flourish.
4. Be realistic. Some crops will not produce edible plants now no matter how much you water them so let them die or wait for rain.
5. Water once a day and rotate what you water. Greenhouses and polytunnels only need watering every other day.
6. Do not under any circumstances leave the water running while you do something else and do not use anything that leaks.

Over the next few days the meter will be monitored and if the rate has gone down no further action will be taken as yet, however, over the next couple of days if there is no significant decrease then the water flow/pressure will be halved.  I am away for the next two weeks and if needs be other members of the committee will impose a hosepipe ban and ultimately we reserve the option of turning the water off completely, but that seems to be a waste of the money we have already spent. Hence the action as above.  This has been a very strange year weather-wise, no one has experience different weather to the rest of us, this is your association and everyone should be pulling together and helping each other not acting in a self-interested way.

We will hold another committee meeting when I return and if necessary we will have an EGM very soon after.  We will be looking at how we can keep our finances secure and if extra charges are needed as a one-off this year then they will be imposed.  Bearing in mind there has been no rise in water charges for many years we will be discussing that option. I am also thinking about how in the future we manage conditions like this.

Please support what we are trying to do.

Please note though that if Severn Trent imposes a hosepipe ban then no matter what our meter is telling us we will have to comply. We also reserve the right to turn the water off if necessary.

Jackie

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