Water Rationing

[Chester]

http://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news...ationing_/

OK, let's be honest here - this is nothing to do with rationing just price! Another case of the Baz Gaz either getting the story wrong or just not understanding English.

There's lots of issues here and I have different views on all of them.

Firstly every house should have a meter - it's the only fair way overall.

Secondly, they shouldn't charge more in the summer to discourage use. However setting a benchmark on winter use and then charging more for use over that benchmark in the summer would be more fair.

Lastly - why us again? If we have to have the housing forced upon us why make us pay extra? Surely the fairer way is to say 'poor old north hampshire having the building forced on them by an unelected regional assembly, let them have a rebate in the winter and then pay the same as everyone else in the summer'. It'll never happen.

[Della]

It seems to me that the idea is to prevent people pouring good drinking water on their gardens in order to save water. I am all in favour of that.

I don't agree that price is a fair way to do this. Large families will face a huge hike, especially if they have not had a water meter before. It also looks like disability discrimination to me as incontinent people will use more water due to increased washing plus people with some medical conditions need more baths. It could also cause increased usage among the better off. Once paying by the litre, they feel free to do what they want with the water with no social responsibility.

I don't like to see price used to ration usage. For goodness sake, just bring in a local by-law to make it illegal to put water from a tap on to the garden. That does exactly what is wanted - reduced water consumption, without beating round the bush so to speak. Perhaps free water butts for all customers would be a step in the right direction.