Framing the debate about sustainable scales for water systems in the UK

There is currently debate around what is the most appropriate scale of water system in the UK context. There has been an increasing level of enthusiasm for decentralised and small scale approaches such as rainwater harvesting to complement the traditional “mains” supply and sewerage systems. However, with additional systems come additional impacts; environmental, social and technical, which are not necessarily negated by the reduced burden on the existing infrastructure. Before entering into an adversarial comparison of the “business as usual” versus “alternative” strategies, there needs to be an improved understanding of the problem situation. This paper seeks to frame the debate by defining the root problem, outlining the characteristics of an ideal solution, and exploring the complex web of issues between the two.