Much as I hate to disagree with my old friend Robert Marcus (Chronicle, Letters, February 15) -  the blame for overflow sewage/waste water does not lie with the Conservative Party.

Step forward Joseph Bazalgette, mastermind of the London sewage system. He was all for separating waste and ground water, After all, there was a booming business in exporting waste to farmers to use as fertiliser. But then a huge supply of guano (bird poo) was discovered and the plan of using different pipeage was abandoned. Disaster: and hence our Victorian system of collecting waste and ground water together remains to this day, and heavier than normal rainfall (caused it is reliably claimed) by global warming, puts huge pressure on the system.

If Lib Dem Danny Chambers wants to fix this - and he certainly seems 'passionate' about the subject - then to implement Bazalgette's vision of a separating waste would entail digging up every street in the UK. The cost would be stupendous, the entire NHS budget, and then some.

But if that's what it takes, then vote Lib Dem.

So maybe Flick Drummond's suggestion doesn't sound so daft after all.

Annie Saunders,

East Street,

Alresford

 

 

Send letters by email to newsdesk@hampshirechronicle.co.uk or by post to Editor, Hampshire Chronicle, 5 Upper Brook Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8AL.

All letters and e-mails must include full names and addresses (anonymous letters will not be published), although these details may be withheld from publication, on request, if there is a strong enough reason.

Letters of 300 words or less will be given priority, although all are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, or legal requirements. We reserve the right to edit letters.