SERIOUS water supply problems will face Kent for a long time to come, says a report published on Tuesday.

It has been compiled by the Kent branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England and says that action, including metering, recycling and transferring water from other areas of the country must be taken now if the shortages are to be controlled.

The report argues that climate change will make the droughts of today more the norm of tomorrow.

Available water, per head of population in Kent, is now said to be less than many regions of southern Europe and the Middle East.

It is about the same as the Gulf state of Oman or half of Rwanda. If this situation continues, according to the Environment Agency, stand pipes could become a reality in Kent.

Dr Hilary Newport, director of Kent’s CPRE, said: "Kent’s water supplies are increasingly fragile and our problems will be severely exacerbated if the Government insists on 122,000 new homes being built.

"It’s going to be increasingly hard to keep the taps running in Kent if we do not take urgent measures. We need to see dual flush toilets installed in each new house and water metering in every home.

"Waste water, including effluent, must be recycled on a large scale. This has been done in London for decades and we should be doing it in Kent.

"And water companies must seriously consider transferring large volumes of water from wetter parts of the country.

"We’re well aware that the measures we are recommending require major investment and planning. But, as this report shows, we are in dire need of urgent action."