Secondly, today we received a bill for water charges concerning the farm cottage. £164.27.
Here is the tank which holds the water to three separate houses. The holding tank had just been cleaned.
This is a view of the water coming in straight from the hill.
That picture shows the area once it was 'done up'. Just out of shot and to the left were pheasant pens.... to the right was the corpse of a sheep (not one of ours) which was in an advanced state of decay and which had fallen in the burn. The burn which feeds the water supply.
This entire glen is fed by private water.
Environmental Health will sometimes offer a grant towards filtration systems so a lot of public money paying for private water which is not fit for purpose yet the bill for £164.27 has arrived today. Payable to the Estate.
We are charged £5 per annum rent for the water pipe we supplied to the cottage and which runs through our field. The pipe is a proper plastic water pipe.
We supplied a filter system to the cottage once we realised the extent of the water pollution after consulting independent water testing companies.
Sadly, it was too late for my father who lived there and who died of renal failure. Or the visitor who contracted cryptosporidium.
The estimate for a system robust enough to clean our supply has come in around £3,500 plus a recommendation that the filters are changed once a year. We find that they need changing once a month otherwise the filter becomes so clogged with solids that the flow stops.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/11/26113042/5
We discovered that last winter, when we were without water for 39 days (at the temporary accommodation) that due to the total population being less than 50, we were not eligible for help or emergency water.
Shameful.
I know you're still thinking...and that it doesn't help if your neighbours have sunk into despairing apathy, but what do you anticipate the reaction of your landlord to be if you do go the media way?
ReplyDeleteI would be loathe to reply to that question publicly as I know this blog is being read by some of them.
ReplyDeleteThere was outrage that I dared speak out, outrage when other became involved, etc yet they cannot seem to fathom that what happens here is not acceptable in modern times and it affects many people.
The fault does not lie with us, it lies with their attitude.
What is there to fear if everything is transparent?
Transparency, clearly.
ReplyDeleteI had looked at recent water standards, per EU rules, and saw the "more than 50 users" caveat. How close to 50 users are you? Would a "lodger" or two push you over?
ReplyDelete*shakes head*
ReplyDeleteI still cannot believe that this can be allowed to happen. :(
English Rider - we would need 45 more lodgers at the farm or 43 at our temporary accommodation (two neighbours who share the private supply there).
ReplyDeleteThere are more than 50 users in the village plus there was a pub (now closed)
It is a network of private supplies coming from the hills. The water tastes sour and rank and it is possible that some supplies are upset by all the building being done for the Beauly-Denny power line. I have seen the burn up the Sma Glen change colour...
If the landowners believe it is so great then I invite them to drink a glass of it, raw from the tap.
Ditto, the politicians.
O.K....invite them..via the media.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a bloody cheek sending you a bill for water you can't drink. How about sending them a bottle of water with the invitation: "Drink this and I'll pay you the £164 if you don't end up in hospital".
ReplyDeleteFly's idea is great.
They really do want you off the farm, don't they.
Love the idea of sending them a bottle of water from the farm. With a Christmassy bow on it.
ReplyDeleteWe could market it as 'Organic Instant Weight Loss'.
ReplyDeleteWe are still awaiting the council's inspection, it's now been five weeks, apparently the officer concerned is off work and quite unwell,
ReplyDeleteOur council covers a vast area of Scotland, seems strange that only one officer is employed to cover the entire area,
maybe we will fall ill whilst awaiting inspection from them.
There again, who are we to consider we matter at all.
This is the whole point I was trying to get across, At home in Wellies. If this was to happen in a town or city there would be outrage, bowsers or bottled water provided, enquiries, etc.
ReplyDeleteDue to living in a rural area, it is deemed unimportant as there are fewer people and it does not matter one whit if they become unwell but god Forbid if the tourists become sick. Or if the livestock suffer high mortality levels.
Try having a bath in bottled water, washing hair, brushing teeth plus the cost involved, the huge collection of plastic bottles, getting in to town to stock up in winter (hollow laugh), supermarkets restricting you to 10 bottles per sale, the faff.....
The handling of private water is not good enough and requires urgent review.