New figures reveal Britain is the world's sixth largest importer of water, and our water 'footprint' is threatening global reserves.

[Ethel]

So says the Daily Mail.

I had visions of water pipes stretching from foreign countries to our reservoirs and taps, (like the English do with Welsh water) and had to read this article very carefully to get the full picture.

I do with the Daily Mail would stop with the misleading headlines.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-104721 1/British-water-consumption-threatens-world-su pplies.html

[Gromit]

British water consumption 'threatens world supplies'

screams the headline. Turns out we import lots of food which is grown with 'vitual water'.

Better stop sucking those lemons AOG, you're harming the planet.

[jake-the-peg]

I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

This is the paper that famously reported "Titanic sunk - No lives lost!"

[R1Geezer]

hang on, look out the window! It's done nowt but pi55 down lately!

[LeMarchand]

"Virtual water". Sounds like another scare tactic to keep us all in line and prices high.

[Haggisdj]

Changing the subject slightly. We live on an island (not even the Daily Mail could get that wrong) and we are surrounded by water. Why don't we build de-salination (if that's a word) plants and use the water for industry, car washes, flushing the toilet, etc. to ease things during hot periods?

[Ethel]

This water isn't being used in the UK, if you read the article.

It is being used in its countries of origin to produce goods and food for UK consumption.

[jake-the-peg]

We don't build desalination plants because they're expensive to operate and polluting in terms of the electricity requierd to run

There is one for London

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6904 722.stm

I rather suspect the reason that this is needed is that the major reservoir for the 4 square mile Thames Valley at Abingdon is still mired in planning controversy after several years

[rov1200]

As water is the new liquid gold maybe we can SELL some of our surplus water in order to grow the crops?