Foresight means we shouldn’t run dry (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Foresight means we shouldn’t run dry

8:43am Thursday 23rd February 2012 in Readers' letters By Telegraph & Argus

SIR – Yorkshire Water reports high stocks due to a wet autumn and winter (T&A, February 21). However, more than 20 years ago the water authority had the foresight to link up to Kelder Water in Northumberland, by laying a significant pipeline underground.

I recall seeing massive blue pipes laid across fields stretching north for many a mile; trenches were dug for the pipeline so eventually all disappeared from view.

A Government-led summit on the drought emergency in the Midland, Anglia and South East regions has been called. Their plight is as bad as 1976, and if you know your geography and weather patterns then this situation is not uncommon.

A national scheme copying the work done in our county last century needs implementing.

Ever since the grandiose plans to build an extremely expensive fast-rail link from the major northern cities to London, costing £80 billion and taking until 2030 to complete, I have thought what poor value for money just to clip 30 minutes off the travelling time.

I formed the opinion that these massive funds could be diverted to link fresh water supplies from northern England (not Scotland) to the dry eastern side of the country.

Alan Chapman, Beck Lane, Bingley