Scots reject viral aqueduct proposal to give England water during drought

A VIRAL social media post proposing the transfer of water from Scotland to drought-hit areas of south-east England has sparked a fierce online backlash. The post on Twitter/X suggested that, given Scotland’s frequent rainfall and England’s recurring hosepipe bans, a Roman-style aqueduct system could theoretically move water hundreds of miles south. The suggestion came as swathes of England are suffering from “flash drought” as a result of very low rainfall and high temperatures. Seven areas of central, eastern and southern England – around half of the country – have been declared as officially in drought. READ MORE: Fire crews making ‘significant progress’ tackling Cairngorms blaze With a few days left to go, this month could end up as the driest July on record, with England having just 7% of expected rainfall, and southern England seeing just 1%. Proposals to move water from resource-rich Scotland to other parts of the UK have been floated for years – and while serving as mayor of London, Boris Johnson backed the idea. The Tories previously considered the bid for a £14 billion “super canal” connecting southern Scotland to parts of England has suffered from less rainfall than usual in the past decade. The author of the viral post wrote: "Hear me out. Scotland literally rains every day. they have more water than they know what to do with. South east England has summer droughts and hosepipe bans. "If the romans built aqueducts for hundreds of miles 2000 years ago, this is more than achievable. It will never happen obviously. We’d need a 15 year consultation on the colour of the pipe." hear me out… scotland literally rains every day. they have more water than they know what to do with. SE england has summer droughts and hosepipe bans. if the romans built aqueducts for hundreds of miles 2,000 years ago, this is more than achievable it will never happen… pic.twitter.com/9d7x2amaE0— Alexander (@alexanderrX_) July 28, 2026 Scots were quick to reject the proposal, citing economic, political and environmental implications. “Hands off bro,” one wrote, while another added: “Hear me out ... You can fuck right off. Invest in reservoirs and stop asset stripping Scotland.” One widely shared reply stated: “The Tories privatised water in 1989 and the English electorate have rewarded them with 5/9 election wins since. "But Scotland, who didn't elect them even once, and have a publicly owned water company should bail you out from your failed experiment? On yer bike.” READ MORE: Top Scottish human rights lawyer responds after Reform MSP reports him to police Another asked: "Why should Scotland be responsible for fixing the mess created by England privatising their water supply?" And one user wrote: “How on earth can we be short of water, when we're an island in the middle of the sea?" Some users pointed to existing infrastructure and alternative solutions for England. One response highlighted the underuse of Kielder Water reservoir and suggested revisiting canal networks and regional transfer schemes in northern England. Critics also raised environmental concerns, with one noting ongoing wildfires in Scotland and arguing against “tearing up our countryside to give England our water.”