The KBB industry’s commitment to manufacturing products that reduce water consumption took on greater importance for me today when I was asked whether I’d willingly drink water that had been recycled from toilet waste.

The question came from a friend who’d heard that plans which could see treated sewage water introduced into London's drinking water supply to eke it out, have been backed by 69% of those that responded to a survey, out of the 5,000 people asked.

I have two things to say to that: “Who the heck did they ask!” and: “How many people responded?”

I gather Thames Water launched the consultation with a view to finding the best way of serving the rapidly growing population in London and the Thames Valley, which estimates predict could, in the not too distant future, reach 10 million.

One of the options mooted was the use of recycled waste water. If this scheme were to be put in place, the waste from toilets would be recycled back into the River Thames, drawn out and retreated to make it safe to be streamed into the mains supply.

Although the company says it has no definite plans to implement the scheme and that if it does go ahead, it won’t be for at least another 10 years, I understand that a test plant has already been commissioned in Enfield, north London.

OK, so I often complain about the cloudy, chalky water we have in Epsom and the awful limescale we have to deal with, which means we get through a kettle every 18 months despite filling it from a filter jug, but I know where I’d rather be living right now!

Other, more palatable options that appealed to respondents were the installation of water meters in homes and businesses and a redistribution system, whereby water is transported from areas where it’s plentiful, into other parts of the country that are experiencing shortages – both of which make a lot of sense.

Thames Water warns that unless action is taken, there could be a water deficit of around 125 million litres per day by next year, so something clearly needs to be done quickly.

Dealing with leaks more rapidly would, of course, be a good place to start…

Finally, please accept my apologies for the odd symbols that appeared in the Schueller story last week, which were caused by a corrupted umlaut. Happily, Schueller's furniture itself is a great deal more consistent and comes without any nasty surprises! You can read the symbol-free story here: http://thekbzine.com/pages/8400/brand_designs_for_schueller/

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Yours,

Jan Hobbs