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Is it time to drink the Solent?
A PLAN to pump millions of gallons of salt water from the Solent into Hampshire homes can be revealed today.
Water bosses want to invest in a new £73m scheme which transforms sea water into tap water. It comes after environment experts warned that the county is heading for a water crisis unless urgent steps are taken.
The proposed desalination plant would be built by Southern Water at a site in either Fawley or Millbrook.
It would provide tap water to about 250,000 homes in times of drought or low rainfall.
The company has produced the scheme after being told by the Environment Agency (EA) that it must reduce how much fresh water it takes from the River Itchen.
The EA fears that the river's unique wildlife, including migrating salmon and the southern damselfly, will not survive if water companies continue to rely so heavily on it to supply their customers during the summer.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE IN GREENWATCH
9:30am Wednesday 21st May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Redfield, Winchester on 9:40am Wed 21 May 08
With nearly 1.6 million people in Hampshire, this is just a drop in the ocean ('scuse the pun!) I Blame it on the governments obsession in building more and more and more housing without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc
With nearly 1.6 million people in Hampshire, this is just a drop in the ocean ('scuse the pun!) I Blame it on the governments obsession in building more and more and more housing without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc
Posted by: hmm on 9:45am Wed 21 May 08
[quote]A PLAN to pump millions of gallons of salt water from the Solent into Hampshire homes can be revealed today.[/quote]
[bold]
SAY WHAT!?[/bold]
A PLAN to pump millions of gallons of salt water from the Solent into Hampshire homes can be revealed today.
SAY WHAT!? Posted by: Ed, Freemantle on 9:57am Wed 21 May 08
Grade A Echo reporting again. It wont be salt water when it reaches people's homes - hence the desalination plant. While not very energy efficient, it provides a plentiful water supply for dry Mediterranean regions, so there's no reason not to try it here at times of drought. Of course, the Echo come up with another sensationalist headline to encourage the stream of negative, unhelpful comments on this site. And why are people in positions of authority always called 'bosses' or 'chiefs'?
Grade A Echo reporting again. It wont be salt water when it reaches people's homes - hence the desalination plant. While not very energy efficient, it provides a plentiful water supply for dry Mediterranean regions, so there's no reason not to try it here at times of drought. Of course, the Echo come up with another sensationalist headline to encourage the stream of negative, unhelpful comments on this site. And why are people in positions of authority always called 'bosses' or 'chiefs'?
Posted by: Greenfield, Gov building on 10:00am Wed 21 May 08
[quote]I Blame it on the governments obsession in building more and more and more housing without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc[/quote]
I Blame it on the human obsession of breading more and more and more babies without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc - fixed.
I Blame it on the governments obsession in building more and more and more housing without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc
I Blame it on the human obsession of breading more and more and more babies without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc - fixed.
Posted by: Paul, Southampton on 10:05am Wed 21 May 08
[quote][bold]Greenfield[/bold] wrote:
[quote]I Blame it on the governments obsession in building more and more and more housing without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc[/quote] I Blame it on the human obsession of breading more and more and more babies without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc - fixed.[/quote] I prefer my babies in batter rather than breaded
Greenfield wrote:
I Blame it on the governments obsession in building more and more and more housing without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc
I Blame it on the human obsession of breading more and more and more babies without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc - fixed.
I prefer my babies in batter rather than breaded
Posted by: J on 10:08am Wed 21 May 08
Welcome to the 21st Century. This is something that is being done in dozens of European countries so I don't see a problem with it.
Welcome to the 21st Century. This is something that is being done in dozens of European countries so I don't see a problem with it.
Posted by: Bob555, fluoride-free Soton on 10:13am Wed 21 May 08
[bold]No fluoride PLEASE.[/bold]
Posted by: truth patrol, solent on 10:32am Wed 21 May 08
Flouride please save the childrens teeth, dont take any notice of the nutters. Sounds like a plan to charge us more for water. Rather ship the wingeing northerners back home, echo cannot even get the picture right the forts are in spithead. The echo exceeds the normal rubbish hacks yet again.
Flouride please save the childrens teeth, dont take any notice of the nutters. Sounds like a plan to charge us more for water. Rather ship the wingeing northerners back home, echo cannot even get the picture right the forts are in spithead. The echo exceeds the normal rubbish hacks yet again.
Posted by: Denzil, work on 10:43am Wed 21 May 08
Who cares. I drink Stella not water.
Who cares. I drink Stella not water.
Posted by: Joe on 10:47am Wed 21 May 08
"The proposed desalination plant would be built by Southern Water at a site in either Fawley or Millbrook"
Good idea but at what cost? This process used by the great new cruise liners relies on their own energy already produced on board.How will this operate on land? What sort of energy will it use?
"The proposed desalination plant would be built by Southern Water at a site in either Fawley or Millbrook"
Good idea but at what cost? This process used by the great new cruise liners relies on their own energy already produced on board.How will this operate on land? What sort of energy will it use?
Posted by: hmm on 10:49am Wed 21 May 08
[quote][bold]Joe[/bold] wrote:
<b> "The proposed desalination plant would be built by Southern Water at a site in either Fawley or Millbrook"
Good idea but at what cost? This process used by the great new cruise liners relies on their own energy already produced on board.How will this operate on land? What sort of energy will it use? </b>[/quote] Tidal
Joe wrote:
<b> "The proposed desalination plant would be built by Southern Water at a site in either Fawley or Millbrook"
Good idea but at what cost? This process used by the great new cruise liners relies on their own energy already produced on board.How will this operate on land? What sort of energy will it use? </b>
Tidal
Posted by: Keith Oftergrass on 11:03am Wed 21 May 08
Knowing that a load of spotty, in-bred chavs from Redbridge / Millbrook had been diving into the water....... they expect us to drink it after that ????
Knowing that a load of spotty, in-bred chavs from Redbridge / Millbrook had been diving into the water....... they expect us to drink it after that ????
Posted by: Sceptic, Waterside on 12:00pm Wed 21 May 08
If the money grabbing shareholders of the water companies put less in their very deep pockets and more into building resevoirs then we would have plenty of water and also somewhere for flood waters to go.
If the money grabbing shareholders of the water companies put less in their very deep pockets and more into building resevoirs then we would have plenty of water and also somewhere for flood waters to go.
Posted by: Andy, Locks Heath on 12:13pm Wed 21 May 08
I'm guessing this must be using reverse osmosis on a massive scale, which is very energy intensive, hence it will be expensive, so a) Will our water rates go up to pay for it? (A. yes) Will it taste so disgustingly brackish that we will have to buy bottled water for all our drinking needs? (A. yes) c) if desalinated water uses the same distribution mains as existing borehole and river water then our "normal" water supply is soon going to taste pretty awful all the year round not just during droughts(a. yes) and finally if we are relying "renweable" energy to power the plant you can bet there will be power cuts when we need this water the most!
I'm guessing this must be using reverse osmosis on a massive scale, which is very energy intensive, hence it will be expensive, so a) Will our water rates go up to pay for it? (A. yes) Will it taste so disgustingly brackish that we will have to buy bottled water for all our drinking needs? (A. yes) c) if desalinated water uses the same distribution mains as existing borehole and river water then our "normal" water supply is soon going to taste pretty awful all the year round not just during droughts(a. yes) and finally if we are relying "renweable" energy to power the plant you can bet there will be power cuts when we need this water the most!
Posted by: Captain Swing, Soton Soton Soton ... on 12:54pm Wed 21 May 08
[quote][bold]Captain Swing[/bold] wrote:
Neither Fawley or Millbrook are anywhere near the Solent. Can anyone at the Echo read a map or chart? [/quote] A thousand pardons: I had an attack of electronic tautology!
Captain Swing wrote:
Neither Fawley or Millbrook are anywhere near the Solent. Can anyone at the Echo read a map or chart?
A thousand pardons: I had an attack of electronic tautology!
Posted by: sotonian, southampton on 1:03pm Wed 21 May 08
Millbrook would be better than Fawley. A lot of cruise ships produce their own water from the sea. It is not a lot different than tap water. We need to do something otherwise we could be in the same position as Barcelona who are now shipping in water by sea by the tanker load throughout the summer .
Millbrook would be better than Fawley. A lot of cruise ships produce their own water from the sea. It is not a lot different than tap water. We need to do something otherwise we could be in the same position as Barcelona who are now shipping in water by sea by the tanker load throughout the summer .
Posted by: Keith Oftergrass on 1:39pm Wed 21 May 08
Alternatively the Water Board could spend the money on mending the leaking pipes which account for something like 20% of our water supply !!!!!
Alternatively the Water Board could spend the money on mending the leaking pipes which account for something like 20% of our water supply !!!!!
Posted by: hmm on 1:42pm Wed 21 May 08
[quote][bold]sotonian[/bold] wrote:
Millbrook would be better than Fawley. A lot of cruise ships produce their own water from the sea. It is not a lot different than tap water. We need to do something otherwise we could be in the same position as Barcelona who are now shipping in water by sea by the tanker load throughout the summer .[/quote] Heres an idea, why dont the water companies fix their leaking pipes?
sotonian wrote:
Millbrook would be better than Fawley. A lot of cruise ships produce their own water from the sea. It is not a lot different than tap water. We need to do something otherwise we could be in the same position as Barcelona who are now shipping in water by sea by the tanker load throughout the summer .
Heres an idea, why dont the water companies fix their leaking pipes?
Posted by: southy, redbridge on 2:12pm Wed 21 May 08
[quote][bold]Captain Swing[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]Captain Swing[/bold] wrote:
Neither Fawley or Millbrook are anywhere near the Solent. Can anyone at the Echo read a map or chart? [/quote] A thousand pardons: I had an attack of electronic tautology![/quote] dont look like it,daily echo and water bosses, millbrok plant is in the rver test,and the fawley is in southampton water whitch is part of the river test,
but personal i think its about time should off been done years ago,and while they are at it mirco dam all rivers and streams to make power to run such a plant,if they think about it hard enough there are use full chemicals in the sea that can be used to many to list, and stop listening to the greenies most off them just follow the band wagon,and thinks its co2 gas that drives are weather when it dont its the sun going though its cycle and expanding [bold]bold[/bold]
Captain Swing wrote:
Captain Swing wrote:
Neither Fawley or Millbrook are anywhere near the Solent. Can anyone at the Echo read a map or chart?
A thousand pardons: I had an attack of electronic tautology!
dont look like it,daily echo and water bosses, millbrok plant is in the rver test,and the fawley is in southampton water whitch is part of the river test,
but personal i think its about time should off been done years ago,and while they are at it mirco dam all rivers and streams to make power to run such a plant,if they think about it hard enough there are use full chemicals in the sea that can be used to many to list, and stop listening to the greenies most off them just follow the band wagon,and thinks its co2 gas that drives are weather when it dont its the sun going though its cycle and expanding
Posted by: Not all there., Argate, Bottom of argarden on 2:16pm Wed 21 May 08
Must be the answer to rising sea levels.
Drink it!!
Doh!!
Must be the answer to rising sea levels.
Drink it!!
Doh!!
Posted by: Plum Pudding, Swamptown on 2:19pm Wed 21 May 08
This is surely nothing new....
I thought we had been drinking water from the Solent for years, or at least that's what it tasted like...
Of course, they bottled it and called it "Brickwoods" in those days...
This is surely nothing new....
I thought we had been drinking water from the Solent for years, or at least that's what it tasted like...
Of course, they bottled it and called it "Brickwoods" in those days...
Posted by: southy, redbridge on 2:29pm Wed 21 May 08
boy theres a name i not heard in along time brickwoods,you must remember the winter of 63-64
boy theres a name i not heard in along time brickwoods,you must remember the winter of 63-64
Posted by: Mary Rhodes, Fawley on 2:32pm Wed 21 May 08
[quote][bold]Captain Swing[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]Captain Swing[/bold] wrote: Neither Fawley or Millbrook are anywhere near the Solent. Can anyone at the Echo read a map or chart? [/quote] A thousand pardons: I had an attack of electronic tautology![/quote] Indeed can you 'Captain Swing' read...
The plants can be at Marchwood or Fawley but the water would be drawn-up from the Solent...
simple eh!
Captain Swing wrote:
Captain Swing wrote: Neither Fawley or Millbrook are anywhere near the Solent. Can anyone at the Echo read a map or chart?
A thousand pardons: I had an attack of electronic tautology!
Indeed can you 'Captain Swing' read...
The plants can be at Marchwood or Fawley but the water would be drawn-up from the Solent...
simple eh!
Posted by: Plum Pudding, Swamptown on 2:43pm Wed 21 May 08
[quote][bold]southy[/bold] wrote:
boy theres a name i not heard in along time brickwoods,you must remember the winter of 63-64[/quote] Ironically, I was flooded at the time...but I lived in Sussex then.
In an effort to forestall future shortages, they bottled the floodwaters... I think they called it "Tamplins"... which later became Watneys (of Red Barrel fame) so obviously this practice was quite widespread!!
southy wrote:
boy theres a name i not heard in along time brickwoods,you must remember the winter of 63-64
Ironically, I was flooded at the time...but I lived in Sussex then.
In an effort to forestall future shortages, they bottled the floodwaters... I think they called it "Tamplins"... which later became Watneys (of Red Barrel fame) so obviously this practice was quite widespread!!
Posted by: Plum Pudding, Swamptown on 2:51pm Wed 21 May 08
[quote][bold]Keith Oftergrass[/bold] wrote:
Knowing that a load of spotty, in-bred chavs from Redbridge / Millbrook had been diving into the water....... they expect us to drink it after that ????[/quote] That would not be possible...the gene pool is far too small!
Keith Oftergrass wrote:
Knowing that a load of spotty, in-bred chavs from Redbridge / Millbrook had been diving into the water....... they expect us to drink it after that ????
That would not be possible...the gene pool is far too small!
Posted by: Redfield, Winchester on 3:52pm Wed 21 May 08
[quote][bold]Greenfield[/bold] wrote:
[quote]I Blame it on the governments obsession in building more and more and more housing without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc[/quote] I Blame it on the human obsession of breading more and more and more babies without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc - fixed.[/quote] it's breeding - breading is something to do with making bread!!
Greenfield wrote:
I Blame it on the governments obsession in building more and more and more housing without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc
I Blame it on the human obsession of breading more and more and more babies without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc - fixed.
it's breeding - breading is something to do with making bread!!
Posted by: confused, Lepe Beach on 4:00pm Wed 21 May 08
[quote][bold]Redfield[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]Greenfield[/bold] wrote: [quote]I Blame it on the governments obsession in building more and more and more housing without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc[/quote] I Blame it on the human obsession of breading more and more and more babies without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc - fixed.[/quote] it's breeding - breading is something to do with making bread!![/quote] [bold]Left hand not talking to the right[/bold]
This may seem daft, but why is there a scheme being built by Southern Water to pump water from the mainland - Lepe beach across to the IOW ?
Why not build the plant on the IOW, and safe the cost of the pipe line !
Redfield wrote:
Greenfield wrote: I Blame it on the governments obsession in building more and more and more housing without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc
I Blame it on the human obsession of breading more and more and more babies without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc - fixed.
it's breeding - breading is something to do with making bread!!
Left hand not talking to the right
This may seem daft, but why is there a scheme being built by Southern Water to pump water from the mainland - Lepe beach across to the IOW ?
Why not build the plant on the IOW, and safe the cost of the pipe line !
Posted by: southy, redbridge on 4:00pm Wed 21 May 08
i would not take much notice off the Environment Agency talking to there bailifs they seem they do not know nature to well and treat all rivers the same
pudding its got to be better than muddy water they call marsons
i would not take much notice off the Environment Agency talking to there bailifs they seem they do not know nature to well and treat all rivers the same
pudding its got to be better than muddy water they call marsons
Posted by: Captain Swing, Southampton on 5:01pm Wed 21 May 08
[quote][bold]Mary Rhodes[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]Captain Swing[/bold] wrote: [quote][bold]Captain Swing[/bold] wrote: Neither Fawley or Millbrook are anywhere near the Solent. Can anyone at the Echo read a map or chart? [/quote] A thousand pardons: I had an attack of electronic tautology![/quote] Indeed can you \'Captain Swing\' read... The plants can be at Marchwood or Fawley but the water would be drawn-up from the Solent... simple eh![/quote] You are being far too generous Mary. What would be the point of wasting energy "drawing" water from the Solent when there is a ready supply of less salty water at Fawley and Millbrook.
Regular Echo readers will know that it frequently confuses Southampton Water with the Solent.
I'm never sure whether to be exasperated or amused.
Mary Rhodes wrote:
Captain Swing wrote: Captain Swing wrote: Neither Fawley or Millbrook are anywhere near the Solent. Can anyone at the Echo read a map or chart?
A thousand pardons: I had an attack of electronic tautology!
Indeed can you \'Captain Swing\' read... The plants can be at Marchwood or Fawley but the water would be drawn-up from the Solent... simple eh!
You are being far too generous Mary. What would be the point of wasting energy "drawing" water from the Solent when there is a ready supply of less salty water at Fawley and Millbrook.
Regular Echo readers will know that it frequently confuses Southampton Water with the Solent.
I'm never sure whether to be exasperated or amused.
Posted by: disgruntled, toooottton on sea! on 5:21pm Wed 21 May 08
Built by Southern Water, owned by some obscure French Company...run by poles...
Built by Southern Water, owned by some obscure French Company...run by poles...
Posted by: Wewullywinky on 5:33pm Wed 21 May 08
[quote][bold]Greenfield[/bold] wrote:
[quote]I Blame it on the governments obsession in building more and more and more housing without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc[/quote] I Blame it on the human obsession of breading more and more and more babies without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc - fixed.[/quote] I agree, it's both. We keep breading and thus the government want to build more homes. Every child from now on needs to be steralised from birth.
Greenfield wrote:
I Blame it on the governments obsession in building more and more and more housing without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc
I Blame it on the human obsession of breading more and more and more babies without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc - fixed.
I agree, it's both. We keep breading and thus the government want to build more homes. Every child from now on needs to be steralised from birth.
Posted by: paul b on 8:37pm Wed 21 May 08
[quote][bold]Wewullywinky[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]Greenfield[/bold] wrote:
[quote]I Blame it on the governments obsession in building more and more and more housing without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc[/quote] I Blame it on the human obsession of breading more and more and more babies without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc - fixed.[/quote] I agree, it's both. We keep breading and thus the government want to build more homes. Every child from now on needs to be steralised from birth. [/quote] No just the children whos parents have claimed benefits for more than 2 months without good reason
Wewullywinky wrote:
Greenfield wrote:
I Blame it on the governments obsession in building more and more and more housing without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc
I Blame it on the human obsession of breading more and more and more babies without a thought to the infrastructure etc, etc - fixed.
I agree, it's both. We keep breading and thus the government want to build more homes. Every child from now on needs to be steralised from birth.
No just the children whos parents have claimed benefits for more than 2 months without good reason
Posted by: bollockstothemall, Southampton on 10:21pm Wed 21 May 08
Isn't it a case of 'too little too late'? Waste of space utility companies. We're told that we're running out of gas and what do they do? Sink NEW gas pipes all over the Country no doubt bursting water mains and wasting that as well. God, they do pi.ss me off the money grabbing b'stards.
Isn't it a case of 'too little too late'? Waste of space utility companies. We're told that we're running out of gas and what do they do? Sink NEW gas pipes all over the Country no doubt bursting water mains and wasting that as well. God, they do pi.ss me off the money grabbing b'stards.
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