Pan-stakeholder group warns of sluggish return to normal water resource levels

A grouping of government, water industry and environmental organisations has warned a return to normal water resource levels in the South East could take "some time." in parts of England after a dry June depleted supplies.

In a statement, the Environment Agency-led National Drought Group has urged the public and businesses “to do all that is needed to sustain water supplies and ease pressure on the environment.” It added: “It could be some time before the water resources situation returns to normal ranges,” as current rainfall fails to replenish groundwater in east and south east England.

It said most water companies had “good reservoir storage for the remainder of this year,” and confirmed that there was “no threat to essential water supplies.”

But it added that continued below-average rainfall would “increase environmental stress in areas where groundwater levels are lower than expected at this time of year.” And it warned that farmers’ abstractions of water could be curtailed in parts of England during the final weeks of the peak irrigation season.