21 Aug 2026
If there’s so much rain, how do we keep running out of water? Check out “The Book” here: https://mdsh.io/osullivanluke Use code LUKE for 10% off. Watch more from my channel: • Ones you should watch

Hi, my name’s Luke. I make videos about things I think are pretty mad. That’s usually cities, transport, and infrastructure — but not always.

Thank you to the Environment Agency for their involvement with this video. I reached out to them to check it over before filming to make sure that it was generally accurate. As always, they did not have a say over the video, its contents, or any opinions presented.

For full transparency, their feedback was the following: “Its water companies who impose hosepipe bans not the Environment Agency or Government. Leakage is at 19% rather than 20%.
The 7% rainfall figure is now 10%. For context the Jaws of Death speech was under James Bevan so quite a few years back (we don’t use that language anymore). Beckton is not the first desalination plant – Southwest Water runs a successful one in Isles of Scilly. On Beckton deal – we have learnt lessons from this and as our climate changes, our electricity network is decarbonised, desalination will be part of our future resilience water supply.”

Supporting imagery from Wikimedia Creative Commons, Alamy, and the British Newspaper Archive.

Some key sources:
GCSE Geography! https://www.tutor2u.net/geography/ref…
Speech by Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeche…
Environment Agency Jaws of Death article (2019): https://www.wired-gov.net/wg/news.nsf…
Ofwat: https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/regulated-co…
Water Transfer Schemes: https://www.internetgeography.net/geo…
Water UK: https://www.water.org.uk/news-views-p…
The Telegraph (The battle to build Britain’s first reservoir in 35 years) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026…
Met Office: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us…
Desalination GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/government/publica…

I used Artlist for some sound effects in this video, follow this link to use them yourself: https://artlist.io/artlist-70446/?art…

This video is sponsored by “The Book: The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilisation” by Hungry Minds.

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