A National Water Policy
The appearance on Tuesday of a White Paper on a National Water Policy synchronises with a water shortage in many parts of England which already threatens to become acute. The chairman of the Thames Conservancy stated the other day that in the Thames catchment area the rainfall from October rst last to March 31st was below the normal by 37.7 per cent. It appears that a deficiency on that scale is enough to cause serious shortage of water in some districts and anxiety about the near future over a far wider area. Yet during this period Wales and the North of England have had all the rain they require. What is wrong is, in part, the method of storage, and in part the method of distribution ; and the quality of water in many regions demands attention as well as the quantity. The White Paper proposes some short-term measures to be embodied in a Bill which will be introduced during the present Session, though this is obviously too late to affect drought conditions which may be felt this summer. The long-term policy aims at ensuring a planned and economical use of water resources and efficient distribu- tion, responsibility resting with Ministers at the centre and local
authorities at the circumference. The plan includes a national survey of resources, a survey of bulk needs, measures to avert misuse and pollution, and provision to require one undertaking to give supplies to another. It is recognised that there must as soon as possible be piped supplies to people in rural areas, and that industrY
and agriculture should have the right to an adequate service. A sure and good supply of water in all parts of the country is necessar: equally on grounds of health and on grounds of economy.
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