Kettering Allotments 2011 Water Survey

 

A questionnaire was distributed to members in May 2011 to canvas their views on the best way forward with regard to water bills.

 

Analysis

 

84 replies were received and analysed. 10 questionnaires were returned from Windmill Avenue, 26 from Margaret Road and 20 from Scott Road. Northfield Avenue had the highest participation rate, with 21 questionnaires returned (from 45 plots).

 

83% of respondents use mains water.

 

Altogether the respondents have 298 rainwater barrels in total! – an average of 3.6 barrels per respondent.

 

A majority of respondents agree with our current policy of forbidding the use of hosepipes, although there is a clear difference in opinion between Northfield Avenue members and the other 3 fields. 77% of the other 3 fields agree that hosepipes should be forbidden, but 95% of the Northfield Avenue respondents disagree.

 

The next question gave 4 possible options for paying for mains water in the future. Very few members want the mains turned off completely; only 7% opted for this for 2012 and another 15% opted for the mains to be off by 2015.

 

The most popular option is in favour of raising the rents for all members to pay for mains water. 39% of the respondents favour this, although 38% are in favour of the 4^th option of adding an extra charge for water on top of the rents.

 

Again, Northfield Avenue is in contrast to the other 3 fields. 86% of Northfield Avenue respondents favour option 4, the extra charge for water.

 

56% of respondents from the 3 fields offered to help build simple communal rainwater collection structures on their fields. This shows that most of our members are willing to help out with worthwhile projects that will help keep the rents down and reduce the distances that watering cans have to be carried. Only 6% of respondents from Northfield Avenue are willing to build these structures.

 

A few sources of barrels were suggested and are being followed up. Many water-saving suggestions were made by respondents and are listed at the end of this report. They will be included in future newsletters and put on the website.

 

Conclusions

 

Our members care about water. In some ways this was the worst year to launch a questionnaire suggesting we turn off the mains, with the worst drought for about 100 years. In other ways this was the ideal time to do it, as our minds are really focused on the cost of water and how to conserve it.

 

Turning the mains off is not a popular option. Members commented that they may give up if this is done. This leaves the other two options or any new ideas for the future. Raising rents for all members (option 2) is slightly more popular than adding an extra charge for water. The former is not fair to those members who practise water conservation and collect rainwater, the latter will be impossible to monitor on an individual basis. Members commented on this point; it may lead to disputes and ≥cheating≤ if members claim to not use mains water and then help themselves to it, or even another memberπs rainwater from barrels. Charging all members a higher rent also seems unfair between the fields, when there are such differences in the mains water use. The larger number of taps/troughs in some fields means that members on the large fields are subsidising the water for those on the small ones. Last yearπs water bills show approximately £2 per member for Margaret Road, £7 per member for Northfield Avenue, £10 for Windmill Avenue and £3 for Scott Road. (The £3 for Scott Road is an average for the last 2 years, as meter reading was not done, giving one abnormally low bill and one abnormally high).

 

There is another possibility that might be considered. The rent could be increased for each field by the cost per member of the previous yearπs water bill. Eg for 2012 the rent would be:

Margaret Road - £2 per pole + £2 membership + £2 water

Windmill Avenue - £2 per pole + £2 membership + £10 water

Scott Road - £2 per pole + £2 membership + £3 water

Northfield Avenue - £2 per pole + £2 membership + £7 water

 

This means that totals may go up and down when we have dry years and wet years, but is fairer and what most of our members opted for in their questionnaires. Our receipts will also be a year behind our bills from Anglian Water, so we shall need to keep reserves of funds in our accounts.

 

Comments and suggestions

 

As mentioned, many respondents made useful suggestions and valid comments. These are listed below.

 

∑      How will we monitor option 4?

∑      We should retain uniformity in our association and not have different charges for different fields, or even UDI. We are stronger as a larger society and should all pay the same rent.

∑      Nobody carts water from the troughs for the fun of it! However, some members do water unnecessarily. They splash it on wastefully and water established fruit bushes and other established crops that donπt need it.

∑      A suggestion that the mains water is turned off earlier in the year (mid- July rather than the end of September).

∑      New plants, eg Brassicas, leeks are ≥puddled in≤. Once that is done there is no need to water them again.

∑      Grow in trenches with organic matter added.

∑      Use mulches from cardboard, shredded paper, compost etc.

∑      Use cut-off plastic bottles to funnel water directly to crop roots rather than surface watering, which rarely reaches crop roots.

∑      Use fibre pots. Germinate seeds in the pots and plant out when big enough. The roots grow through the pots and reach moisture deeper in the soil.

 

Next steps

 

This report will be circulated to committee members during July 2011. The committee will consider and discuss this report during its August meeting. A final decision will need to be made for the 2012 rents at the October meeting of the committee. No doubt the topic of water will return to the agenda from time to time.

 

Ends