England’s reservoirs at lowest level for a decade as experts call for hosepipe bans | Water

The tanks of England are at their lowest levels for a decade, reveal new data, while experts urge water companies to immediately put prohibitions in Hosepipe.

In June, tanks across the country were 76% full, which is lower than their level during the severe drought of 2022, when they had a capacity of 77% at that time in summer.

The levels continue to drop considerably because the hot weather has caused increased demand for water and there was very little rain to fill the tanks.

Experts have warned water companies to implement hosepipe prohibitions across the country. Dr. Jess Neumann, an associate professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, said: “Following dry spring reservoir levels without season in certain parts of the country fall to seriously low levels.

“Water companies must be proactive. Hosepipe prohibitions can save 3% to 7% of the daily use of water as long as the public is on board with the need to keep water. Hosepipe prohibitions have the additional advantage of increasing awareness of water rarity and stress between communities, more encouraging the consumption of Mindful water. ”

Dr. Jonathan Paul, of the Department of Earth Sciences of Royal Holloway, University of London, added: “The reservoir levels are directly linked to precipitation, so that local restrictions on the use of water (such as Hosepipe prohibitions) could be necessary to stabilize them.”

The Yorkshire Water this week has introduced Hosepipe restrictions after the region recorded its driest spring in 132 years. South East Water has also announced a hosepipe ban for more than a million people in Kent and Sussex.

The water bosses have been reluctant to implement hosepipe prohibitions, as it affects the ratings of customer satisfaction, the sources of the Government Drought Group in the Guardian. These notes, collected by the regulator, contribute to the performance report of a water company.

Sources of the drought group, which meet regularly to discuss the response to droughts, said that companies were waiting “until the very last moment” to set up prohibitions. Rivers are already on low levels, and additional abstraction could risk environmental damage.

The managers of the Environment Agency advised the Environment Secretary, Steve Reed, on the question of whether the water company drought plans are sufficient. They said that water companies should follow their drought plans and that Hosepipe prohibitions should be in place above all allowed for additional abstraction of the river, and in place long enough to have the possibility of having a measurable impact on the reduction of customer demand.

In some regions of the country where no hosepipe ban is in place, farmers have been severely restricted to irritate their land.

The president of the National Farmers’ Union, Tom Bradshaw, said that “risked food production”, in particular in East Anglia where many farms are based. The county has had exceptionally low precipitation this spring, the lowest third ever recorded since 1871, with reservoir levels and groundwater. There is no hosepipe ban in place for residents, but farmers find it difficult to water their cultures.

Bradshaw told the Guardian: “Abstraction prohibitions have already been implemented in Norfolk without a commitment or prior warning. It seems ridiculous when there is no official drought or a round prohibition.”

The regions at risk of lacking water at the moment are those which are largely dependent on tanks rather than groundwater.

Autumn wet and winter of 2024-25 allowed the country’s aquifers – water under the ground – to recharge, therefore certain parts of the Southeast, where the soil is chalk and aquifers recharge more quickly, are in better position than those of the Midlands and the North.

However, a drier time could ensure that the aquifers also begin to decrease, and the levels of groundwater are already lower than normal in a large part of the country. The most recent perspectives of the British Center for Ecology and Hydrology indicate: “The July perspectives indicate that the levels of groundwater should remain normal to normal in most areas, with significantly or exceptionally low levels which should persist in certain regions.”

Neumann added: “Pressures on water supply is not limited to the British regions which depend mainly on tanks, but also have an impact on the areas where supply is fueled by underground water sources such as the center and the Southeast. [as rivers and reservoirs] When the rains finally come. »»

The dry spring and prolonged summer associated with hot weather, which increases the use of consumers’ water, has caused a considerably drop in reservoir levels in the Midland and the north of the country.

Severn Trent’s reservoir levels increased from 83.5% on May 23 to 71.1% on June 30, while UNITED Utilities reservoir levels are currently 65% when last year at that time, they were 84.5%.

Yorkshire tanks are 55.8%, down more than a quarter on what they are normally at this time of the year.

Last year, government and water companies announced proposals to build nine new tanks by 2050. No large reservoir has been completed in England since 1992, shortly after the privatization of the water sector.

A Water UK spokesperson said: “Water companies do everything possible to avoid restrictions on customers, including moving water in their region and increasing leak activity. However, when the levels of trigger compared by the government are affected, unfortunately, a ban on temporary use must be imposed. ”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Rapid population growth, ruined infrastructure and a warming climate without urgent action, Great Britain could lack drinking water. We have taken rapid and decisive measures to guarantee 104 thousand pounds of private sector investment to build nine tanks and new pipes to reduce lips. ”