BRITAIN HIT WITH DROUGHT WARNING

Photo Courtesy of Bruce McKay

Environment Secretary Caroline Spellman has called an urgent meeting of farmers, water companies and wildlife groups to discuss the impending drought threatening southeast England, the East Midlands and East Anglia.

Groundwater levels are reportedly lower than levels witnessed in 1976, Britain’s warmest year on record, and may force the country into a crippling drought with ‘serious problems’. Months of below average rainfall and leakage from water pipes has caused river levels to fall across many parts of the country and in one instance, to dry up completely. Water companies have managed to reduce their leakage by 36% since the 1990’s but this is still not enough to prevent the likelihood of a hose pipe ban and additional water restrictions being introduced this summer.  Thames Water have even gone as far as saying that it is no longer a question of if there would be a drought in the area, but when and how bad it would be.

The vast majority of people are unaware that we are in the middle of a drought says Mark Lloyd, chief executive of the Angling Trust, and so people at home must be informed and encouraged to do all that they can to prevent water wastage and help wildlife through this drought.

The first threat of drought was identified as early as September 2011 and the government has been accused by the WWF for ‘dragging its heels’. The water summit called by Ms Spellman is therefore long overdue but now aims to bring everybody together - the water industry, all the water users, the agriculture industry, the horticulturists, and also the green groups– to discuss what measures are being implemented to tackle drought and decide what actions need to be taken to mitigate against its impact in the future. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is already planning on publishing a draft Water Bill "in early 2012" and introduce it "as soon as Parliamentary time allows". Suggestions laid out in this Water bill, together with ideas in the government published Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Bill, need to be assessed and their development accelerated, whilst the need for nationwide water metering fully supported.

By Tim Allen