Paul Latchford will never be troubled by a hosepipe ban or water shortage after having the forethought 12 years ago to recycle the rain water from the roof of his Market Overton house in Rutland.

Every year he saves 10,000 gallons of water in four underground tanks which he uses to wash his two cars and keep his garden well watered.

Mr Latchford, of Berry Bushes, was inspired to install the tanks in 1996 after realising how much rain water is wasted by just going down the drain.

The Environment Agency says England and Wales are not as water-rich as other countries, with dry winters impacting on resources, and that shortages also affect wildlife.

Mr Latchford thinks underground storage systems should be installed in every new home and recommends people convert their properties to do the same.

The 65-year-old warehouse manager said: "Water is in short supply in this country with all the huge building plans and new houses in the country in places where there is not enough water.

"If every household or every house being built put in an underground water system there would not be so much drain on the countryside.

"The majority of houses in this country will be metered within the next five years. Everybody who's on a meter always thinks when turning on the tap – 'how much is this costing?'.

"It gives me a huge amount of pleasure to turn on my free rain water system, especially during the summers of drought."

Mr Latchford's prototype system sees the underground tanks being fed by a pipe from the roof and a hosepipe is attached.

He paid £1,500 for the tanks, which come from Israel, and dug the trenches himself but was helped with the plumbing side by a friend. The system has a pump to get the water from the underground tanks.

Mr Latchford says the system does not save him a lot of money but helps with the recycling effort more than one overflowing water butt would.