Time for a comment. The annual water shortage is here again in the south east of England. Only 70% of average rain apparently over the last two years has resulted in a garden hose ban and the threat of standpipes in the street if the rain doesn't come soon. This really pisses me off. The UK is supposed to be the fourth wealthiest nation on earth but it seems that we still have an early Victorian infrastructure supplying our water.
The north of England and all of Scotland is awash with the stuff. It never stops raining up there and the mountain areas are dotted with nice lakes and rivers full to bursting. We have the technology to pipe oil and gas from as far as Siberia and the Caspian Sea. However, it hasn't been considered that we could pipe nice harmless water the 500km or so from the other end of this country. The water is nice and soft up there as well and we could save a fortune on soap. Airports have their fuel delivered by a network of pipes direct from refineries nationwide after all so it's not impossible.
All we really need is a government prepared to spend a little less on jet fighters or build one less 'stealth' frigate and divert the money into a grid for water like we have for electricity. Privatised water companies seem intent on keeping the shareholders happy rather than investing in the system. Thames Water which supplies most of the London area loses 27% of its water to leaks which is disgusting.
If places like Las Vegas and Dubai, both built in deserts, manage to maintain a good water supply why not a corner of our soggy little island?
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