Those unfortunate 350,000 souls in Gloucestershire who had their mains water supply cut off after contaminated flood water swamped a major treatment plant were probably not among those who were involved in the tap water v bottled water debate. I am sure that they were only too thankful to see council workers arriving with water tankers and cases of bottled water to ease their plight and thirst.
I suppose there is a certain irony in the fact that people who had been subjected to an incredible deluge of millions of tons of rainwater in the space of a matter of days were unable to get even a glass of water from their taps. Inevitably, this fact was not lost on the tabloids and last week saw the predictable headlines of, 'Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink'.
If my school memory serves me right, I think that this phrase comes from the Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge, but the big difference was that that thirsty Ancient Mariner was sailing on the high seas, miles from land without water as a punishment for killing the Albatross.
Anyway, first this week a look at a recent UK tap water survey and the phenomenal growth in sales of bottled water in the UK in the last few years.
The reputation of Scotland's water as the best in the UK was confirmed yet again last week following a survey of nearly one and a half thousand people throughout Britain. Scotland's water came top of the league of drinkable tap water with 72% of those surveyed rating it the best in the land. London, on the other hand, with its 'recycled' water, found itself in the relegation zone with only 12% of samplers giving it the highest rating. Scotland was followed in top spot by Wales and then the North of England.
There was disturbing news for bottled water producers in the survey which found that an increasing number of people were sceptical about bottled water. In fact, two thirds of those interviewed felt that bottled water was just a way of getting people to spend more money on a product that was no better than tap water.
However, despite this thumbs down from some people, the phenomenal growth in sales of bottled water in the UK doesn't appear to be abating. In 1998, the UK bottled water market was worth around £400 million per annum. Within five years, sales had quadrupled to 2 billion litres (480 million gallons), making the industry worth around £1.2 billion per annum. Now, it is reckoned that the industry is fast approaching the £2billion a year mark if it's not already there.
In the UK alone, there are over 200 different brands of still, sparkling and flavoured water available in the British bottled water market.
Although the London tap water might not taste very pleasant, there is nothing wrong with it due to the stringent standards on tap water set by regulatory authorities. The green lobby is now going into battle about the green credentials of bottled water and the environmental cost of 'food miles' in transporting bottled water around the planet.
Until recently, Waitrose used to sell Fresh and Wild Fijian Water from the Fiji islands, over 10,000 miles from the UK. If the scientists of doom on global warming are to be believed, perhaps even bottled water in a small way is contributing to the horrendous weather conditions being experienced by some parts of the UK this summer.
I had a mild complaint this week that I have too many fish and shellfish dishes in the column and that pasta dishes don't feature often enough, and I must admit that this is probably true but I suppose the reason is that I much prefer fish to pasta. This week, by special request, features a great vegetarian pasta dish which can be easily adapted to suit a carnivore as well.

Fusilli with peppers in spicy tomato sauceIngredients
About 200gs of Fusilli (Fusilli sounds very Italian but it is just the spiral shaped pasta and other dried pasta can be used if preferred)
1 red pepper, sliced into strips
1 yellow pepper, prepared as above
(Another coloured pepper can be added as well but courgettes also can be used)
2 courgettes, sliced
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
A handful of sliced mushrooms
4 tomatoes, peeled and then chopped (Soak them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then peel)
Small tin of tomato puree or a good splodge squeezed from a tube
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of chilli flakes or half a teaspoon of mild chilli powder for less of a kick
Plenty of freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
Some grated Parmesan cheese
A glug or two of red wine
Handful of Basil leaves chopped

Method
First of all prepare the vegetables so they are to hand to add to the sauce.
Add the olive oil to a pan and cook the chopped onion and garlic over a low heat for a few minutes till softened.
Add the strips of pepper and courgettes and cook on a gentle heat for a few minutes, adding a splash more olive oil if needed.
Add the tomatoes, chilli flakes and mushrooms and mix in with the rest.
Add the tomato puree and the wine and bring to a gentle simmer.
Season well and cook for about ten minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add some more wine.
Meanwhile cook the pasta as directed on the packet and maybe add a splash of olive to the water in which the pasta is cooking.
When the sauce and pasta are ready, add the pasta to the sauce and then add the chopped fresh basil.
Serve with some grated Parmesan and a crisp green salad.
The dish can be altered to meet the needs of non-vegetarians by adding Salar Smoked Salmon to it or cooked ham or chicken.