Greater water grid interconnection will help tackle supply issues, says minister

Increased interconnectivity across the water transmission system will help to address concerns over water supply, according to the water minister.

Speaking at a European Water Label and WWF fringe at the Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow last night, Dan Rogerson said greater interconnection between water company regions will develop further to help tackle water supply problems.

He said: “In some cases where there is water stress or over abstraction, I think there is a case for connectivity between different networks hitherto not been connected.”

Rogerson added that this, alongside more efficiency usage of water, could help to deal with issues of a lack of supply.

He added: “We can run out of water.

“We were fairly close to getting into drought like conditions in the summer of 2012 prior to a spell of rain over the last year or so; we were getting very close.

“There is a case for connectivity between different networks hitherto not been connected and it is happening.”

However the water minister ruled out the construction of an “all singing, all dancing” national grid for water, saying it is unlikely because it would cost a vast amount and add significant additional costs to consumer bills.

“We’re a long way from that,” he said.

Ben Earl, chair of the European Water Label and water efficiency manager and Southern Water agreed it was an “economic thing” that would prevent the development of a national water grid.

He said: “A lot of water companies are looking to share water on the boundaries, so there is a lot more cooperation at a local level, but an overall national grid would be a very expensive thing.”