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Thames - Water Points. Changes to drinking and bulk water supply points.


Paringa

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This from the EA...

 

Dear non-tidal Thames boater,

 

We are modifying the mains water points at our lock sites and associated camp sites on the non-tidal River Thames. This includes taps for drinking water containers, bulk water supplies, and taps at chemical toilet disposal and sewage pump-out facilities.

 

Please find the attached briefing which provides further information about what is changing.

 

 

External briefing 23.03.21 Changes to drinking and bulk water supply points[4263].pdf

Edited by Paringa
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So no hose longer than 7 metres. If they extend this to the Great Ouse and Nene I can think of a few water points where that might make life a bit awkward.

 

No expandable hoses! I bought one once. Found it pretty useless.

 

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5 minutes ago, jonathanA said:

Has the EA document been written by the office junior? The bit about back pressure doesn't seem to make sense ?

 

How are they going to police 7m hoses ? 

 

 

From the sounds of it, the anti-syphon valves will do the policing for them.

 

. However the hose should not:
• be more than 7 metres long
• be of an expandable type
• have any type of additional fitting attached.
All the above will result in back pressure being created. This will cause water to be vented out of the supply
tap before it enters the hose.

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Yes. Sounds like they've fitted a PRV to the tap that will release water if the back pressure in the hose is much above the pressure drop of an ordinary 7m hose.

Looks to me like a recipe for lots of water wastage as people try to get away with longer or expandable hoses.

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Big cork anyone to bung up the vent?

 

Seems odd to specify such a short hose when from what I have seen the main non-weekend and off peak boat movements are by narrowboat with most being far longer than 7 metres so depending upon how the water point moorings are arranged and other boats may well need a longer hose just to reach the filler. They would not be trying to discourage narrowboats would they?

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13 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Big cork anyone to bung up the vent?

 

Seems odd to specify such a short hose when from what I have seen the main non-weekend and off peak boat movements are by narrowboat with most being far longer than 7 metres so depending upon how the water point moorings are arranged and other boats may well need a longer hose just to reach the filler. They would not be trying to discourage narrowboats would they?

Maybe the same type of tap that C&RT use in the elsan washing facility with an airgap 

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21 minutes ago, Paringa said:

Not seen one yet myself to confirm, but this is believed to be the wee beastie...

 

Pipe Interrupters Type DC257 - Arrow Valves

 

DN20F. The link above has a couple of installation and use docs if you are interested.

 

 

dsc09303_2_1.png

 

 

A set of mole grips and a connector from Poundland and the jobs 'sorted' (hose pipe as long as you like)

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And there's this a bit further down in the briefing :-

 

"The backflow prevention devices will considerably reduce the rate at which water is dispensed from the taps. Please allow additional time to fill containers and bulk water holding tanks. Please also expect an increase in the amount of waiting time if the facilities are already in use."

 

(my bold)

 

springy

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On 24/03/2021 at 16:45, BEngo said:

Duct Tape over the holes!

For some reason the CRT ones don't undo

 

N

The last time I used the Elsan at Wolverhampton someone had taken a hacksaw to the adaptor.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 24/03/2021 at 09:51, Paringa said:

This from the EA...

 

Dear non-tidal Thames boater,

 

We are modifying the mains water points at our lock sites and associated camp sites on the non-tidal River Thames. This includes taps for drinking water containers, bulk water supplies, and taps at chemical toilet disposal and sewage pump-out facilities.

 

Please find the attached briefing which provides further information about what is changing.

 

 

External briefing 23.03.21 Changes to drinking and bulk water supply points[4263].pdf 164.01 kB · 52 downloads

 

 

Thanks @Paringa - for some reason the EA don't seem to have shared this information with me, despite the eight hundred quid I give them every year...   I could have looked pretty stupid turning up at a water point, as I have done for the last thirty years, and finding no hose, or not being able to use the collapsible one I carry for emergencies.

 

There are approximately 15,000 boats registered for use on the upper Thames, if each one now has to carry its own, special, 7m hose, that creates a requirement for an additional 105km of plastic hose (mostly to be used once or twice a year). In what way does that put "environment" in "Environment Agency", I wonder?

 

 

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On 24/03/2021 at 16:45, BEngo said:

Duct Tape over the holes!

For some reason the CRT ones don't undo

 

N

A Facebook post implies there is some sort of 'clutch' arrangement on the threads to prevent them being removed.

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On 24/03/2021 at 15:50, Paringa said:

Not seen one yet myself to confirm, but this is believed to be the wee beastie...

 

Pipe Interrupters Type DC257 - Arrow Valves

 

DN20F. The link above has a couple of installation and use docs if you are interested.

 

 

dsc09303_2_1.png

The description attached to that picture states:

 

Pipe Interrupters are intended for open outlet applications and must not be used for washing machines, upstream of hose union taps or any appliance that has a control valve or restriction

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6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Like security wheel-nuts, but as we all know you can either use a 'key', or a shock-load (hammer) to remove them.

Would suspect a shock load would pull the tap off the wall or post or seriously damage the pipework.

 

Given the opportunity I would try a big spanner and a pair of stilsons.

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17 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

 

I'm not sure what they hope to achieve as these are the new water supply regulations adopted by (seemingly) all marinas now.

 

 

Industry-Best-Practice-Marine-Water-Facilities-2019.pdf 2.02 MB · 1 download

From reading the DBA statement it's the use of the pipe interrupter and the max 7 metre they are against, calculating that it will take 60 mins to fill the average narrowboat tank and 90 mins for a Dutch Barge.

 

Reading that document a standpipe for drinking water only requires the Double Check Valve, not the Interrupter. Not sure about not letting the hose drag on gravel or lay in puddles at your average CRT water point but the rest is what we already do. I guess we could all keep our hoses in the air whilst filling. Certainly slow down the cyclists.

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