SIR – Dr Klaus Misch (Letters, April 16) asks why, since less than 8 per cent of water use is domestic, the home-owner using a hosepipe should be penalised?

I imagine the answer is similar to airport security, which confiscates nail scissors from grannies. These are soft targets, easily identifiable, generally compliant and noncomplaining, and this gives the impression of “doing something” rather than targeting more difficult areas – including the huge loss of water through leaky infrastructure.

Keith Chambers

Oakley, Hampshire SIR – Our population has increased by almost 20 per cent in the past 40 years and lifestyles have changed with washingmachines, dishwashers and more bathrooms. Has anyone compared present and historic consumption levels? It seems probable that the more water we use the likelier a shortfall.

Bryan Clark

Ludlow, Shropshire SIR – From 1968, I worked in the finance department of a large local authority in the north of England, when they were responsible for water supplies. In the midSeventies the regional water authorities were created and responsibility was transferred to them. They complained that they had inherited a Victorian infrastructure without the necessary funding to rectify its inherent problems.

Accordingly, they were allowed to levy a precept on local authorities, which they did to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds per annum for several years. Where did this money go? Clearly not on modernisation.

Ian Hunter

Chorley, Lancashire SIR – During the past 24 hours Britain has had over half an inch of rain. This equates to more than three billion tons. How much more of the stuff do we need?

Willy Pledger

North Selsey, West Sussex