I have just had an email from Southern Water explaining that the hot weather means water is more essential but could I save water so as to help keep enough in the reservoirs during the hot weather.

My water is metered and I do try to use a minimum just so my pocket isn’t emptied along with the country’s reservoirs.

Since 2015 all major developments have to incorporate sustainable drainage to manage surface water run off, unless demonstrated to be inappropriate.

The £4m Helvellyn Road council development off Cumbrian Way was completed in March 2015.

The project must have escaped those new regulations as they have no rainwater harvesting built into their properties.

Of course rainwater should be harvested and should be used directly for flushing toilets, washing cars and perhaps irrigation.

Many houses have already been harvesting rain water in water butts, but none of the old communal council flats with acres of roofs have collection systems where the water can be recycled into toilets.

Within the large empty loft spaces of the flats, cisterns should be fitted to collect rain water to feed directly into the toilet plumbing.

Also as a substantial amount of rainwater would be taken away from the streets during storms there might be less flooding around the city and less contamination of surface water drainage.

This year we are lucky as there was a deluge of water falling from the skies over the winter and spring.

But in the future we will have increased usage due to a larger population and more extreme weather due to global heating so now is the time to think about more sustainable water supplies.

We need to consider using rain harvesting, including retro fitting it to existing properties.

Katherine Barbour

Southampton & District Green Party