Just consider - someone tips a vial of FMD-infected material down the sink, it goes down the drain, it is well-diluted but then flood water spreads drain water over a wide area - hey presto, we have infected animals on a farm.

This is a plausible explanation for the current outbreak. It should set us all thinking that what we put down our drains and lavatories really matters.

What about that ghastly blue flushing chemical in your toilet? Even worse, what about all that bleach? Floor cleaners, washing-up liquid, surface cleaners, carpet treatments may all be harmful. The petro-chemical detergent and domestic product market is massive. Contraceptive pills, drugs of all sorts, car washing effluent - all of that revolting stuff ends up down our lavatories, down our sinks, runs out of our washing machines, drains off our drives and, yes, into the drainage system, a la Pirbright. It eventually ends up in rivers, ditches, waterways and even .... our drinking water!

It is only a small effort to exchange all our household stuff for eco-friendly products. These are easily obtainable now.

What we use in our homes has the power to make a huge environmental difference, positive or negative. Whatever we think, our effluent ends up in rivers, reservoirs and the poor old sea. Processing plants cannot remove it all.