WITH South West Hertfordshire experiencing its worst water shortages in years, a local council has introduced an innovative water recycling project.

A project is underway at Three Rivers District Council's Batchworth Depot in Rickmansworth, where "used" water is collected from hand basins at the depot and stored in a tank.

The water is then used to water flowers around the district and at the council offices in Rickmansworth.

Water from guttering will also soon be diverted to the tank, enabling it to refill more quickly when the district does get some rain.

Leader of the Council, Ann Shaw, said: "We all rely on the same source of water supply, so we all have a duty to use it sensibly and conserve it wherever possible, especially during the current shortages.

"By 'recycling' water in this way we hope to encourage local residents and businesses to do the same - it only takes a few simple steps to make a difference."

The district council has stopped some non-essential watering in order to conserve water and prevent very extreme measures becoming necessary. The council will be considering whether it would be appropriate to plant flowers next year.