Your report on water wastage hit the nail on the head. What I hope to highlight are methods which can be legislated to save water thus potentially stopping the futile `blame the consumers' trend in water wastage issues.

Water which can be saved significantly is `grey water' water which is used for washing hands, dishes, utensils and such. Such `grey water' is perfect for flushing the toilet which easily takes up half a person's daily water consumption.

Many may not realise that each flush could waste up to 30 litres of clean water. Thus there should be a local council rule requiring each household to fit another set of piping to keep `grey water' for the purpose of flushing toilets as required in Singapore and other water-stressed countries.

Another source for such `grey water' is rainwater run-off from the roof. If such water can be conserved in the `grey water' tank, then much of our water needs easily over half - can be saved with savings in cash as well. In the long run unsustainable heavy investments for water supply infrastructure can also be reduced.

Maybe it is true that urban water wastage is too high. But not all Malaysians are to be blamed for it. In the rural areas - especially in East Malaysia - many communities have to keep every drop of rainwater in tanks, as well as collect water from streams, to cater for all household and agricultural needs.

Certainly they don't belong to the 300 litres/per head/a day category of water users. Perhaps their story can be highlighted to get water wasters to wake up to their `misdeeds'. Their `misdeeds' should not be made excuses for water privatisation, which under Malaysian management culture, can only bring misery to consumers.