For everyone in the South-East, wondering whether or not to start filling saucepans (or for people not in the SE, wondering what the fuss is about) here’s a good BBC article about the figures behind the drought orders…
I don’t usually find myself agreeing with cosy middle class bluster and outrage (“I pay my bleedin’ taxes, and for this!”) but this whole thing is quite ridiculous. I’m paying £200 a year for the local water company to lose a couple of Lake Windermeres every week. There’ll be civil disobedience once the lupins start to flower, mark my words!
On a serious note, the fault doesn’t lie entirely with the water companies. Wandering the suburban avenues here in Sutton, I’ve noticed that the trend for totally paved driveways and front gardens is increasing rapidly, to the point where houses with traditional front gardens are almost in the minority. A decent shower of rain results in most of the water rushing straight into the storm drains, rather than seeping into the soil. However, if the water suppliers continue to display this bullish and uncompromising attitude, they can’t expect much give and take from the consumers.
Our back garden, by the way, is looking pretty lush. Drought, eh?