Defra looks to companies to maintain supply resilience as drought declared
As drought was declared across much of the country last week, Defra said essential supplies of water are safe and put the emphasis on water companies’ duty to ensure they remain so.
Following a meeting between water company chief executives and environment secretary, George Eustice, the department said companies had reassured government that supplies will remain resilient and stressed: “While there is an important role for individuals to sustainably manage their usage, we expect water companies to act to reduce leakage and fix leaking pipes as quickly as possible, and take wider action alongside government policy.”
Eustice pledged: “We are better prepared than ever before for periods of dry weather with a system that is working well to manage water usage, protect the environment and maintain water supplies for the public and critical sectors.”
Summaries of other drought measures from last week
Areas in drought
The National Drought Group (NDG) met and the Environment Agency formally confirmed eight of its 14 areas are now in drought: Devon and Cornwall; Solent and South Downs; Kent and South London; Herts and North London; East Anglia; Thames; Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire; and the East Midlands. This does not automatically trigger actions itself, but water companies will now implement the actions set out in their pre-agreed drought plans and the Agency will take further actions. The next NDG meeting is planned for 23 August.
Hosepipe ban update
Yorkshire Water announced it will introduce a temporary use ban (TUB) from 26 August, citing rivers running low and reservoirs around 20% lower than expected for the time of year; a need to act with caution to safeguard supplies and river health; and the associated ability to apply for drought permits to abstract more water from rivers and reduce flows out of reservoirs.
South East Water’s TUB came into play on Friday, joining Southern Water’s active ban for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Welsh Water’s TUB for Pembrokeshire starts on 19th, and Thames said it is preparing to bring in a ban in the coming weeks. Despite the declaration of drought in East Anglia, Anglian Water said it does not envisage needing a hosepipe ban this summer. It cited in explanation “the best leakage record in the industry,” 90% meter penetration and ongoing water saving messaging, and strategic investments in resilience infrastructure. This had, it explained, enabled it to keep its reservoirs topped up to around 80%, and support aquifers to be just below average for the time of year. July water situation report
Prolonged dry weather has led to exceptionally low river flows and reservoir levels falling across much of England. Last week the Agency set out the detail in its water situation national report for July https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/water-situation-national-monthly-reports-for-england-2022 which highlighted that it was the driest July across England since 1935, and since records began for the East and South East, with monthly rainfall totals for the majority of river catchments classed as exceptionally low for the time of year. Yorkshire drought order
Eustice granted the EA’s application to Defra for a drought order to help prevent Holme Styes reservoir in Holmfirth from running dry. Yorkshire Water will reduce the flow of water leaving the reservoir from 2m litres per day to 1m, to support habitats and wildlife in the River Ribble. There is no impact on public water supply. North East
The EA declared prolonged dry weather in the North East. To maintain the health of the region’s rivers, Northumbrian Water resumed transferring around 30Ml/d from its Kielder reservoir into the River Wear on Thursday, after the transfer was called on temporarily in July for the first time in 16 years. The company made additional releases from Kielder into the River Tyne to maintain oxygen levels in the estuary to support salmon migration. Elsewhere in the area, the Agency issued ‘hands off flow’ conditions to 35 licence holders to stop abstraction from rivers with low flow levels. Media reaction
The drought and TUBs prompted extensive coverage in the mainstream and social media, on a wide range of issues including: leakage rates, saving water at home, over abstraction (especially of chalk steams), regulation, nationalisation, dividends, investment levels and executive pay. Europe: the drought and heatwave continued to ravage much of the continent. Just under half of the union’s territory was under drought warning in mid-July, with 15% on red alert.
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