Would a national water grid solve the shortage problem?
In the past, the idea of a national water grid has been proposed as a solution to end water shortages. It would involve pumping supplies from one part of the country that had plenty of water to areas that were experiencing a shortfall. However, such a system would be very expensive to build and operate, and it would take a vast amount of energy to pump the required volume of water through its pipes. Organisations like Ofwat and the Environment Agency do support the idea of transferring supplies between some neighbouring water companies. To what extent do new homes put pressure on supplies? Ministers have said an extra 200,000 houses a year in the south east by 2016 will only increase water demand by 0.1%. But the figures are disputed by research commissioned by the Lords science and technology committee that says demand will be higher. Can people be disconnected for not paying their bill? It is not possible to disconnect anyone under current legislation. There is no way of limiting the
