Antony Roberts (Letters, April 27) has regrettably fallen for the trial run by South East Water which does not give a true picture of the situation.

Neither does it reflect the opinion of government experts.

I am a keen advocate of desalination and can think of no other quick way of solving this easily solvable problem. In the National River Authority's report on its water resources development strategy, it stated that using the present system costs are 70p to 80p per cubic metre of water, whereas in desalination plants featuring energy recovery, for example from an adjacent power station, the costs would be in the region of 42p to 48p per cubic metre.

I wrote to John Prescott about the report's conclusions years ago but he replied he was not prepared to grant "retrospective planning" for such a desalination project.

I would add that Jersey has used desalination for more than 30 years.

They have no droughts and no excess brine problems. How will Mr Roberts find water to conserve if it doesn't rain?

  • Harold E Parkin, Horam, Heathfield