Sir, – We live in a regime of boom or bust when it comes to the supply of water. No matter how much rain we get, during an extended dry spell we are issued with stern warnings about conserving water.
I am not a hydrologist but to me one answer is to increase the storage capacity.
If you follow the thinking behind cisterns it is not difficult to envisage extrapolating the principle nationwide.
It is not a reflection on the rural community but it has to be conceded that there is a lot of poor land that is not particularly productive that could be used to create reservoirs for the greater good without loss of habitat. This could be achieved on a local or county basis.
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The reliance on rivers for a consistent supply of water has been shown to be misguided in the past. Very much hand to mouth.
As a footnote, I have to say that the notion of installing a pipeline from the Shannon to supply Dublin and its environs is bonkers. A grand scheme, that will swallow millions of euro and probably exceed its budget by a factor of two at least.
A subject for further dialogue? – Yours, etc,
RUPERT DAVIS,
Delgany,
Co Wicklow.