Madam, – During freezing weather, local authorities around the country ask people not to leave taps running, in order to conserve water supplies. But many people pay no heed to this request.
So they leave their taps running and eventually the local authority is forced to restrict water supplies. During the restricted period, the water in the pipes freezes, and water is cut off until the thaw. Job done!
Would it not be better for local authorities to accept that these taps will be kept running, and advise householders on the minimum flow required to prevent pipes from freezing? By my estimates, a rate of one litre every 15 minutes, or 96 litres per day should do the job. The local authority could further advise the householder on how to save the equivalent amount of water by applying standard water conservation methods in other household areas. – Yours, etc,