People urged to conserve water as drought threat looms

The Environment Agency convened the National Drought Group on Tuesday, bringing together officials from the Environment Department (Defra), water companies, the Met Office, the National Farmers’ Union and others.

Most of England – including parts of Essex, East Suffolk and the Broadland rivers area – has moved into “prolonged dry weather” status – meaning the Environment Agency is now taking precautionary actions to mitigate impacts.

However, nowhere in England is currently considered to be in a drought and Anglian Water bosses say their reservoir levels are "stable, at around 80% full".

The Environment Agency said that if further measures are required, temporary use bans – more commonly known as hosepipe bans – will be determined by individual water companies.

Officials said recent abnormally high temperatures have exacerbated conditions resulting from lower than normal rainfall so far this year in many parts of England.

The Met Office is forecasting potentially several more dry weeks ahead, particularly in the south and east of the country, so the Environment Agency and water companies are now enacting the early stages of their drought plans and calling on everyone to do their bit in managing water use.

Measures include helping those areas which are the worst affected by prolonged dry weather by operating water transfer schemes that allow rivers to be artificially maintained and working with the farming sector to provide greater assistance to farmers in prolonged dry weather areas.

An Anglian Water spokeswoman said: “As temperatures peaked at over 40 degrees, so did the demand for water. We exceeded a record-breaking 1.6 billion litres – a 37% increase, and more water than we’ve ever treated and sent to customers’ taps before.

“Despite a very dry year so far, our reservoir levels are stable, at around 80% full, and our groundwater sources are in good shape too, so we’re not currently planning any hosepipe bans this year. River levels are lower than average, however, and we’re already reducing the amount of water we abstract in order to protect the environment.

“We operate in the driest region in the country, so conserving and managing our water resources and protecting against drought is what we do every day.

"Although one dry winter doesn’t give us cause for concern now, we also need to make sure we conserve enough water for tomorrow, next month and next summer too. It’s such a precious commodity that often gets take for granted. This is why we always encourage customers to use water wisely, whatever the weather.”

What is a drought? And other questions answered

How is a drought defined?

Droughts are natural events which occur when a period of low rainfall creates a shortage of water, and they reduce water supplies to different users.

The Environment Agency (EA) says it is important to note that there is no single definition.

Even though a drought is caused by a period of low rainfall, the nature, timing and effects on people, the environment, agriculture or businesses will vary.

Some droughts are short and intense – for example a hot, dry summer – while others are long and take time to develop over multiple seasons.

Are there levels or stages?

The EA said there are four stages of drought – prolonged dry weather, drought, severe drought and recovering drought.

Parts of Essex, East Suffolk and the Broadland rivers area are in the prolonged dry weather stage.

How much rainfall have we had?

The most recent weekly rainfall and river flow summary for England, for the week to Tuesday July 19, said river flows decreased at all but seven sites the EA reports on, with almost all sites classed as below normal and a third being exceptionally low for the time of year.

According to that summary, England has had just 10% of its long-term average (LTA) rainfall for July, with the east recording just 4% of its LTA.

In June, England recorded 74% of its LTA, while the east recorded 67%.

What measures can water companies take to manage demand?

The EA said water companies can introduce temporary use bans to reduce usage and protect supplies during a drought.

A company does not require any approvals to restrict uses of water but must run a period of public notice and allow for representations to be made before the restrictions come into force.

Companies can also manage water pressure in the supply system in drought-affected areas and work with business customers to help reduce their demand.

When was the last drought?

The last time drought was declared was in 2018.

Other notable droughts took place in 1975 to 1976, 1989 to 1992, 1995 to 1996, 2004 to 2006 and 2010 to 2012.

A severe drought occurred from May 1975 to August 1976, when a dry winter in 1975-76 was followed by an intensely hot, dry summer.

An EA document on droughts said many restrictions on water use were introduced, while many trees were affected by moisture stress and the hot temperatures led to fires on moorland and heathland.