Mike wrote:

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...

Mike wrote:


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

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.


I think as many streams run into reservoirs as rivers, and even those that
feed rivers probably see the water reused ten times as it flows downstream.
The problem with any subterranean system is the water out can lag water in
by 5-100 years. Our spring is certainly about ten years behind.



No reservoirs downsteream of us here - just into the Orwell sysrtem but
across the road its the great Ouse system...all aquifers.