England must harvest rainfall and take action on water usage, Lords warn | Water

Rainwater harvesting, the use of gray water in homes and an urgent campaign to reduce water consumption across society are essential to avoid a water shortage of 5 billion liters per day by 2055, the government has been told.

Without intervention, England will face severe water shortages in coming decades as climate change-driven weather, population growth and the expansion of industries such as water-hungry data centers place excessive demand on supplies and put lives at risk, according to a House of Lords report released on Thursday.

Peers on the Environment and Climate Change Committee said that without urgent action the country would face a daily water deficit of 5 billion litres, the equivalent of 2,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water every day.

Last year’s driest spring in 132 years brought prolonged drought across England. Government climate advisers have warned in a major report that droughts will become more frequent due to global warming and that more reservoirs must also be built to avoid the risk of taps drying up.

Shas Sheehan, chairman of the Lords committee, said: “Climate change is increasing the risk of drought due to a combination of hotter summers and heavier winter rain, making the capture and storage of rainwater increasingly important.

“The drought experience of 2025 has sent a wake-up call to the water and drought management system. We have already experienced a dry start to spring, so it is essential that action is taken now to prepare for severe drought conditions, particularly as we enter a reported El Niño year.”

The committee’s report says more effective management of rainfall is needed, through better storage, supply and reuse. He called for:

• Changes to building regulations to require new homes to achieve a maximum water consumption of 105 liters per person per day and accelerating the reuse of gray water.

• Nature-based solutions such as restoring peatlands and reconnecting rivers to their natural floodplains to improve water retention.

• An urgent awareness campaign for all of society to reduce water consumption.

• A comprehensive environmental and economic assessment of drought to compare the cost of inaction to the value of resilience.

• Wider deployment of nature-based solutions in urban and rural settings.

No new reservoirs have been built in England by water companies for over 30 years. Nine are now planned, but the report warns that bringing them into operation would take many years and should not be seen as an alternative to urgent action to reduce water demand.

Leaks from pipes – mainly owned by water companies – accounted for 19% of water demand, the report said. “Measures to reduce leakage must remain a priority for government, as water losses from leaks undermine public support for other drought mitigation measures,” he said.

“Drought is an ever-present threat that may seem latent in winter but becomes significant in summer,” the peers said. “Water is the very foundation of life; the Government must act now to secure England’s most vital resource for the future.”