Although rainwater is unfair in its ultimate destination, it does happen. It may be practical to divert it to storage (dams) more than we currently do.
Many countries including mine, watch it flood unnecessarily and cause economic issues.
We need to be smarter.
Desalination is a practical back-up. many countries do have them including Australia, South Africa and Dubai.

This thread may well have been titled "Water shortages in only 25 years." but really it was just another immigration thread.

As most of us are fed up with discussing immigration on almost every thread from now on there will be just the one thread (this one) and any further threads that diversify into immigration will be merged into this one

I was surprised by the comments from the Environment Agency Head he is pointing the finger at the consumers.

The biggest wasters of water are the water companies and their pathetic failure to repair leaks. I don't have the figures to hand but I recall that in Germany it is next to nothing and for us it is massive.

There is no water shortage the government and OFWAT need to order the companies to get their act together, problem solved.

One more point

You do have a sense of humour. Very very good.

COYP

There is defintely a problem as you only need to look at reservoir levels. I doubt that is in dispute. Listen to the Northeners and they will say they have plenty and its all about distribution from where they have hit and where its needed in more populated areas. The EA needs to do more than just tell us to save water but get the big water companies to invest and also sort out the leaks in the system which as Badger said is a big contributor.
I live on the canal system and whilst it is a closed system the levels last year caused problems for boaters more in the North of the Country than the midlands where I live. Reservoir levels have not recovered properly and we are still wasting too much through leakage. Why is there no investemnt in de-salination...seem to find money for other expensive eco projects.

Red and Blue though and through (more than 50 years)

You are correct. It is a technical problem, but so is going to Mars.
How much will it cost and how long will it take to bring water supply up to the required standard? Who will pay for this?

You know the answer.

I am skeptical about the government's ability to deliver water at the required level. With the population continuing to increase at an alarming rate, how do you know what is enough?

The same can be applied to Power.