Is Water a Scarce Resource?

In the UK we are complacent about our water. OurEven sooner, by 2030, United Kingdom river flows will
water is cheaper than in many countries and onlybe reduced by 50 - 80%. He reiterated that, under
22% of domestic properties are metered. It is athese circumstances, water is now a limited resource.
tradition for our European neighbours to mock us forLord Smith's stance actively encourages both private
our wet summers. Yet in fact the UK is classified asand commercial property owners and developers to
a country with insufficient water. With populationfit rainwater harvesting, meaning the collection of
growth and therefore the need for more housing,rainwater from roofs and storing water for washing
demand for water is rising. Madrid and Istanbul haveclothes, watering gardens and flushing toilets. Because
more water available per person than London.almost all of the rain which falls in the United Kingdom
During November 2009. Chris Smith, Rt. Hon. Speakingis wasted as it flows into the sea (less than 1% is
at the Cumberland Lodge conference "Hope in thecollected by waterboards to purify, chlorinate and
Built Environment", Lord Smith of Finsbury, Chairmanpipe to users), it is sensible to collect and utilise the
of the Environment Agency, endorsed the necessitywater off your own roof. State-of-the-art rainwater
for storage and re-use of rainwater. Lord Smithsystems, self-cleaning leaf filters, underground tanks
presented a coherent and positive picture of thewhere the cool temperature inhibits bacterial action
UKís measures to mitigate the global warmingand water discolouration, low- or zero-electrical-use
effect. He confirmed the projections of the expertspumps and equipment tags of only
that temperatures will go up between 2 & 4 degrees£1500-£3000 for a home now make
Celsius before the next century, leading to floods,rainwater harvesting the most cost effective of the
droughts, sea levels rising by up to one hundredavailable eco-products. Property owners reduce their
metres, irreversible alterations to agricultural outputwater bill by up to 50%, reduce their mains water
and population movement as it searches for wateruse by about 50% and look to decreasing their
(for instance to a country like the United Kingdom).unnecessary use of water... a scarce resource.