News

WHY BUILD MORE HOUSES?

Dear Ed,
 
According to the  story below we cannot afford a national Grid to help the South East .

Not o­nly does it cost too much but apparently would cause a rise in greenhouse gases, so why do we insist o­n increasing water consumption and wastage by building more and more houses? 

Surely these homes and associated increase in vehicles will also increase harmful emissions!

David Godfrey

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Story published September 2006 http://uk.news.yahoo.com/07092006/344/water-grid-plan-cost-15bn.html

Building a national water grid to ease shortages in the South East would cost up to £15 billion, according to a report.

It would also cause a significant rise in harmful greenhouse gas emissions, the Environment Agency warns. The o­ngoing bill for transferring supplies from northern England and Wales would run into millions.

The Environment Agency report rules out a national water grid as the answer to shortages in the South East, calling o­n water companies to reduce leaks, build new reservoirs and encourage water saving.

Operating a national grid would generate "significant" greenhouse gas emissions and could spread fish diseases, its report adds.

Building five pipelines large enough to carry 1,100 megalitres of water per day from the northern Pennines to London would cost up to £15 billion, the report says.

Environment Agency acting chief executive Paul Leinster said: "Water companies must tackle leakage, demand management and local resource development before thinking about transferring water from further away and spending people's money o­n questionable transfer schemes."

The Consumer Council for Water (CC Water) agreed that saving water, clamping down o­n leakage and developing new local water resources would be a better ways of tackling shortages.

CC Water chair Dame Yve Buckland said: "Rumours of the death of the water resources problems are greatly exaggerated, despite late summer rain.

"However, water consumers still cannot afford a national water grid, either financially or environmentally."

New reservoirs and small-scale desalination plants would be cheaper and more environmentally friendly options, she added.

End