Waste of energy

As my regular reader will know, we are looking for a mill to buy, the idea being to put it back into use, specifically to generate electricity.   We looked at a pretty mill not long ago.  It's on a small river not all that far from its source, so I thought that it wouldn't generate very much power.  On the other hand, the wheel is fed from above, which makes for more efficient operation.

I had a look at the diversion of water from the main stream that would feed it; it was a bit overgrown with reeds and rushes, and perhaps on a neighbouring property but nothing that couldn't be worked with.  The wheel itself has been restored by a group of local enthusiasts, and there is a little plaque on it to this effect.

So I asked the agent to ask the owner about the water, its access from the river and what power the wheel might produce.  It turns out that the wheel is not powered by the river any more but by water that is pumped back up above it using an electric pump, just to turn the wheel for decoration.

*sigh*