Madam, – Dermot Breen (April 21st), asks why our water collection system is inefficiently designed so that water is refined to drinking standard, then pumped around a leaky system, only for maybe 10 per cent of it to be used as drinking water.
But he answers his own question. It is inefficiently designed. In countries where water metering and charging is in place, such as much of Europe, households have an economic incentive to put in place more efficient systems. People start with simple things such as collecting rainwater in butts for gardening.
Some new houses in the UK have a separate water supply for toilets and washing machines – requiring a very simple design change. Rainwater harvesting systems are economically justified if water is charged for. If water is paid for at source rather than by general taxes, people start to think about how they use it.
But while water is “free” (paid for by taxes), there is about as much incentive to consider these options as there would be to reduce our waste when all rubbish was collected “for free” (paid for by taxes), or indeed as there would be to install energy-saving bulbs if electricity were “free” at point of use (and paid for by taxes). – Is mise,