People must be ‘less squeamish’ about drinking water from sewage, says agency boss
Britons need to be “less squeamish” about drinking water derived from sewage, the head of the Environment Agency has said.
Sir James Bevan outlined measures ministers, water companies and ordinary people should take to avoid severe droughts.
He believes homeowners must seriously consider drinking recycled lavatory water or face the threat of shortages in as little as 20 years.
Suppliers are planning “toilet-to-tap” systems that will turn sewage from lavatories, sinks and bathtubs into drinking water by treating it.
Writing in The Sunday Times Sir James, the agency’s chief executive, said: “We will need to be less squeamish about where our drinking water comes from.
“Part of the future solution will be to reprocess the water that results from sewage treatment and turn it back into drinking water.”
He said it was “perfectly safe and healthy, but not something many people fancy”.
Story by Anthony France, Evening Standard, Yahoo News
