In response to Paddy Maxwell''s letter about hosepipe bans, it can hardly be described as a conundrum that water may run out during dry weather.

It's a matter of priority: do we need clean water to live on, or do we use it on garden plants - many of which originate from warm, dry parts of the world anyway?

I say: water-in new plants and the isolated few that might be struggling (from a can). It's worth checking how moist the soil is below the first inch-or-so (where the roots are), it's often quite surprisingly damp. Mulch/bark/gravel helps preserve this too.

I haven't used a hosepipe for years and have lost very little. In fact, I quite enjoy not having to cut the grass too!

STEVEN MOULSTER, Hythe.