Water firms urged to plan for drought

Parts of UK set for driest May on record

UTILITIES: Water firms are being urged to update contingency plans due to rising concerns the nation will endure a severe drought this summer as parts of the UK are on course to record the driest May on record.

Just weeks after many areas were deluged with floodwater, the drought has seen gardens wilt and farmers suffer.

WATER COMPANIES are being urged to update contingency plans due to rising concerns the nation will endure a severe drought this summer as parts of the UK are on course to record the driest May on record.

Just weeks after many parts of England and Wales were deluged with floodwater, the spring drought has seen gardens wilt, farmers suffer parched crops and reservoir levels drop.

The Environment Agency (EA) revealed yesterday that most water companies have “appropriate” reserves, and it stressed its calls for people to use water wisely should not deter anyone from regular hand-washing as part of the fight against Covid-19.

But it also confirmed United Utilities has applied to take water from a Cumbrian lake to help with supplies in the county and it warned further measures may be needed in the north-west of England if the dry spell continues.

The industry trade body, Water UK, stressed there are no plans to introduce a hosepipe ban despite the prolonged period of dry weather, which saw Yorkshire basking in temperatures of up to 23C yesterday.

The Met Office is predicting some regions, especially in the South of England, will record the lowest May rainfall figures on record when the final statistics are collated on Monday.

But a spokesman for Water UK, the trade association representing water companies, said: “There are no plans for any hosepipe bans this summer.

“It is always worth using water wisely, though, especially at the moment when people are spending more time at home. Taking a few simple steps to save water reduces the stress on the environment and the water network.”

An EA spokesman confirmed talks are continuing with water companies to ensure their drought plans are up to date.

The spokesman added: “At this

There are no plans for any hosepipe bans this summer.

Spokesman for Water UK, the trade association representing water companies.

time, most companies across the country have appropriate water reserves for this time of year.

“While dry weather since late March has led to a decline in some reservoirs, this is not unusual during a hot and dry spell, and they can recover quickly when the rain returns.”

The EA said United Utilities, the company which supplies water to the North West, has applied for a drought order to take supplies from Ennerdale Water in the Lake District to sustain supplies in west Cumbria.

If the dry weather continues, the EA confirmed it is likely further actions will be needed across a larger part of the region.

Yorkshire Water said its reservoirs are lower than normal for the time of year and are currently about 75 per cent full.

A spokeswoman said: “We’re also seeing people use more water than they normally would.

“Life is very different at the moment and we’re spending more time at home and in our gardens watering plants, filling paddling pools and pressure washing outside areas.”

She said the firm has the ability to move water around its grid network to fulfil demand, but she also asked household to help conserve supplies.

South East Water has asked its customers not to water lawns, reuse paddling pool water and only use dishwashers and washing machines on full loads to alleviate pressures on supplies.

Up until Tuesday this week, only 1.25 inches of rain had fallen on average across the UK.

Official figures have also shown that just 3.4 inches had fallen on average in England since the beginning of March.