Why Not Pipe Water From North to South?

Either that, or the population could move to the North! Oh, hang on. Wait a minute. Half of them have gone to the Costa Brava and the rest don't want to live in Scotland!

I support the move to the north...economical that way.

But do the folks who live up North want their beautiful countryside covered in tarmac and housing, with Tarquin and Jemima and all their friends being ferried to school in 4WDs whose owners are horrified to find get muddy on local roads?

It might have something to do with the size and cost of pumps and piping.

Tornado's right, that's the main reason.

I heard a good suggestion last night from someone living in the Nort-West. They suggested that in return for sharing their water, the South-East should share some of their jobs, Olympic legacy, etc.

Not a bad idea.

The text of the article pretty much says it all.

A refused planning application for a new reservoir and leakage accounting for 25% of the total water usage in the Thames Valley region.

If you sort out your infrastructure and take care of things locally you wouldn't need to indulge in massive engineering projects to move water from one end of the country to the other.

Funny that, well those...

1) You assume I live in the drought area

2) I heard on the news last night that leakage had been dramatically reduced in the South-East. It was a problem in all water authorities throughout the UK, according to the news articles I heard a few years ago; I assume all of the water companies have been improving.

For the record, I do not live in the SE, nor the Thames Valley Nor do I work for a water company, so it's not "my" infrastructure to sort out...should I tell you to sort out "your" alcoholism and dietary issues??

Funny that, well those...

1) You assume I live in the drought area

2) I heard on the news last night that leakage had been dramatically reduced in the South-East. It was a problem in all water authorities throughout the UK, according to the news articles I heard a few years ago; I assume all of the water companies have been improving.

For the record, I do not live in the SE, nor the Thames Valley Nor do I work for a water company, so it's not "my" infrastructure to sort out...should I tell you to sort out "your" alcoholism and dietary issues??

Friend - you assume I was talking directly to yourself when in reality I was merely replying to the original posted article.

As for the alchohol and dietary related ssues among my countrymen, I think your find that was "off topic" somewhat while commenting on allegations in the article (where the 25% loss rate was mentioned as well as the refused planning application) could not be.

First, my apologies - I really did think your post was a reply to mine - don't know why I missed it was a direct reply to OP..

Secondly, my comment was to illustrate how the use of "you" (which I deliberately put in quotes) could be read as inflammatory. The topics I picked were stereotypical to emphasis this point and for that reason not related to water use. I commented elsewhere that the leakage rate is being dealt with my the water companies. I do agree it's way higher than is sensible. Are figures available for the Scottish firms? Do they have techniques that could be used south of the border?

[Formatting tip: If quoting a previous poster, it makes things clearer/more obvious if one puts the quoted bit in italics...it's the accepted way round here. Jus' bein' helpful here]

I'm curious what constitutes the drought there.

There was a drought in the southeastern US about 7 years ago, that lasted roughly 18 months and included 2 Summers. The average yearly rainfall for northern Georgia which includes the city of Atlanta was around 60% of the normal amount. Severe restrictions were imposed on water usage. Most outdoor watering was banned, which resulted in a number of landscaping companies and plant nurseries having to close.

What made all of this seem rather odd was that, even during this severe drought, this area was still receiving nearly the same average rainfall that falls on northern US cities like New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, etc. The average rainfall in Atlanta is about 55 inches; during the drought it was 35 inches. Cleveland's yearly precipitation is 38 inches (rain + snow); a 35 inch average would have been un-remarkable in Cleveland.

So how severe is this drought in the SE of England? How many fewer mm of rain are falling, compared to the normal averages?

The BBC article mentions the idea of re-connecting the tunnel between the Severn and the Thames. This seems like a simple step; maybe not a full solution, but a useful one. What is the objection? Are folks worried that eventually the Severn basin will be drained to supply London's thirst?

It's funny that you should mention Georgia's recent "drought crisis." I for one find it incredibly two-faced to know that the good people of Georgia were called upon to let their lawns die and allow the paint on their cars to fade while the state continued to be one of the biggest exporters of bottled water in the US.

Right now as I sit at my desk the label on the bottle Dasani purified water reads "bottled by Coca-Cola" in Atlanta, GA. The 5 gallon jug on our water cooler reads "purified Georgia spring water."