Letter: Short of water? Ask Arizona

Sir: I have just returned from a two-week vacation in Arizona to find extraordinary statements being made by water company chiefs (report, 22 February) that unless we change our attitude towards water consumption, we will eventually be faced with daily water cut-offs, reductions in house- building programmes and other stringent measures - and this in a part of the globe where rainfall is plentiful!

Cities in Arizona and California are built on desert, and thousands of new homes are being built annually.

People often shower twice a day, and washing machines and dishwashers are standard equipment. There do not seem to be restrictions on watering grass lawns, gardens and golf courses.

Of course they have the mighty Colorado - but all this happens in what is basically a desert, where rainfall is minimal and summer heat tremendous. There must be something we can learn from a country which appears to be managing water supplies with considerable skill.

Mrs F MARY POOLE

Bath