Parts of England in severe drought as water supplies ‘under immense pressure’
Severe drought has been declared in parts of England, amid concerns over dwindling reservoirs as extremely dry conditions continue.
The South East and South West have experienced their driest April to September for more than a century, affecting reservoirs in those areas, officials said. As a result, “severe drought” – in which a lack of water affects daily life and the environment in major ways, and can have extensive, lasting effects on farming, people, communities, the economy and nature – has been declared in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex. Water companies have been told to step up drought planning, amid efforts to protect public water supplies in the affected areas. People are being urged to “use water wisely”, as ministers and officials said the level of drought was something not seen for decades, and was putting immense pressure on water supplies. The Government said customers’ water supplies would be uninterrupted, but declaring a severe drought would ensure proactive steps were taken to safeguard resources before any disruption occurs. Water companies have been told to conduct daily monitoring of reservoir and river levels and tougher water quality monitoring, and the Environment Agency will increase compliance checks on businesses that abstract water to check they are only taking permitted amounts. The Environment Agency has also been told to prioritise protecting public water supplies in areas affected by severe drought where there are unavoidable trade-offs with environmental rules, to allow water companies to keep more water in depleted reservoirs. The declaration has been prompted by concerns about two major reservoirs that supply hundreds of thousands of customers, and which have seen water levels drop far below what would be expected at this time of year. Ardingly in West Sussex, which supplies about 95,000 properties served by South East Water in Haywards Heath, Uckfield and the surrounding areas, is at 19% capacity. Wimbleball in Somerset, which provides for about 300,000 South West Water and Wessex Water customers in East and North Devon, Somerset and West Dorset, is 16% full. The Environment Agency said it would expect the reservoirs to be at 75% capacity at this time of year. There are also concerns about several smaller reservoirs serving homes in Devon and Cornwall, the agency said. Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: “This level of drought is something we have not experienced for decades, so this Government is stepping up our support and planning. “We are working closely with water companies to protect public supplies in the areas affected, and I’d continue to urge everyone to think about how they can use water wisely over the coming weeks. She added: “Our strengthened Water Bill is all about taking back public control of our water companies. “We are at the start of a decade-long journey to a very different water system, including nine new major reservoirs to secure supplies.” Environment Agency chief executive Philip Duffy said: “Record-breaking summer heat and severe drought have put our water resources under immense pressure. “Recovery depends on both rainfall and how much water we use. “We cannot change the weather, but water companies can act now. We expect them to follow their drought plans and take the steps needed to secure public water supplies. “We are also asking everyone to use less water. “That will leave more in our rivers and the environment, helping farmers and protecting wildlife and nature.” The Environment Agency has granted South East Water’s drought permit application to reduce the amount of water Ardingly reservoir releases each day to the River Ouse by three million litres. Separately, it has granted a drought permit application by South West Water to reduce the amount of water sent to the River Exe each day by nine million litres. The announcement follows the latest meeting of the national drought group of Government, regulators, water companies, the Met Office, the National Farmers’ Union, Canal and River Trust, anglers and water and conservation experts. Last week a drought declaration was made for Yorkshire, with all of England now in drought except for the North West and North East which remain in prolonged dry weather status.
Published: by Radio NewsHub