by Megan Darby
Government talks are to be held over the potential for Scotland to supply water-stressed southeast England, Scotland’s infrastructure and capital investment secretary Alex Neil has announced.
Neil said he was pleased the UK government had responded positively to a letter he wrote in March, offering to hold exploratory talks.
His enthusiasm for the idea was at odds with the conclusion of a recent State of the Nation report from the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) that long-distance water transfers are “not economically or environmentally feasible”.
The report was warmly endorsed by UK water minister Richard Benyon. He said in a video address to the ICE: “Thank you for dispelling the myth that we can solve all our water needs in this country by constructing some sort of giant ring main.”
Neil acknowledged that there would be “massive logistical issues” to overcome, but said: “Scotland has plentiful water and superb industry expertise, so it was only right that we offer our assistance.”
Again, his view diverged from that of the ICE, which urged Scotland not to take its water for granted in the face of climate change and population growth. ICE Scotland water expert Paul Jowitt said: “It is unhelpful to regard water in Scotland as a virtually unlimited resource because there is no guarantee that it will be as readily available in future.”
Bad luck for gardeners supplied from aquifers
The fate of gardens in southeast England is resting on the extent to which their water company relies on groundwater resources. Customers of Thames Water, Anglian Water and Southern Water are free to use hosepipes again, after a ban was lifted last week. Four water-only companies kept restrictions in place, however, affecting more than five million people.
South East Water said early indications suggested demand had fallen by up to 10 per cent since restrictions were introduced.
This article first appeared in Utility Week’s print edition of 22 June 2012.
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