Running dry

As the summer of 2005 approaches, things are not looking good for the water reserves of south-east England.

After an exceptionally dry winter, though reservoirs are full, boreholes near London are at only 50 per cent of their capacity and parts of the UK’s driest region are already facing the first hosepipe ban since 1996.

And it is not just Britons who are suffering. Portugal is in the midst of its worst drought for 300 years, while parts of Spain are so dry that councils are refusing to fill swimming pools and have turned off public fountains.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, Sydney is facing its worst drought on record, with dam levels at just 40 per cent of capacity. Police have been seconded to root out people flouting hosepipe restrictions, and fines for those found wasting water can be up to £25,000.

Despite the distance between them, Sydney and London have much in common — at least when it comes to securing their future water resources. The principal suppliers to both cities, Thames Water and Sydney Water, have been holding technical exchanges for the past 15 years.