Mike wrote:

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
t...

Mike wrote:

Instead gutters should run into a ditch;

They should run into a soakaway not a watercourse


Only for a new installation. Many old buildings have a ditch to collect
roof rainwater and lead it to the nearest stream.



Actually the ideal thing is to run it to anywhere it can get back into
the groundwater system uncontaminated.

Soakaways or ditches - makes little odds. Both are acceptable.



Given the upcoming drought I would have thought people should be encouraged
to get the water into the streams.


Funnily enough, not necessarily.

Water in streams and rivers runs into the sea: Replenishment of
subterranean aquifers requires it soak into the soil.

Round here we pump the chalk: Its about 4-10ft under the clay soil.

Best use of rainwater would be to plant scrub and trees to slow it all
down and allow it to seep into the chalk below: Having it run off in a
rush stops it going deep. The fields here are all drained with land
drains to get that water out of the soil before it can.