The threat of hose pipe bans and water shortages seems to be a regular feature of the approach of summer these days and yet nothing seems to happen to deal with it, other than talk and threats to restrict our access to it. A drought summit is taking place this week in London and one wonders what the purpose of such a talking shop is, when we already know that what the problem is – not enough rain. More accurately, it’s not enough rain in the right place and then not enough water stored and moved to those places that need it.

Scotland has always had plenty of rain – too much some would say and it also seems to have plenty of places to store that rain once it’s fallen, they’re called lochs. Several years ago a study was done to use the rivers and waterways between Scotland and the south of England, the place that is likely to run out of water first, as a way of dealing with the increasing water shortages being experienced in England. As often happens with these projects, the powers that be were able to talk themselves out of it, no doubt because it wasn’t as sexy as something like the Olympics or HS2. Yes, it would of course be hugely expensive and a massive engineering project, but isn’t that exactly what this country needs at the moment, big infrastructure projects?

Properly done, not only would it become the nation’s water main, it would also be a major new water leisure route for the eastern side of the country. Of course, if the Scots get their independence, water may well become the new North Sea oil for them and this time one they have total control of. Wake up politicians, many experts have already suggested that water is likely to be the cause of the next world war, so a civil war wouldn’t be out of the question.