Investment in drainage materials 'can safeguard water supplies'

08/06/2010 17:02:42

 

Investment in new drainage materials could be a wiser long-term option than the creation of desalination plants.

Darren Johnson, a member of the London Assembly, explains that the landmark new desalination plant which came online this week to produce clean drinking water for the capital in times of short supply is 'a sticking plaster solution'.

A long-term alternative could be improvement of the drainage materials incorporated into the region's mains water network.

Mr Johnson says: 'If Thames Water reduced its leakage rate by four per cent it would save almost the same amount of water as the desalination plant is able to produce.'

The plant consumes relatively large amounts of energy compared to other means of drinking water production, leading the total cost to be around three times that of other methods.

Mr Johnson is chair of the environment committee for the London Assembly and lists climate change as one of his key issues and areas of concern.

Posted by Neil Burton

 

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