Such doom-laden forecasts may seem ironic after recent Arctic conditions and the wettest winter in Scotland for a century. But the severity of the situation was underlined yesterday when the Government declared that Southeast England is already in drought and warned of the need for action across the board to save water.
Speaking after a crisis meeting of industry bodies, regulators and conservationists, Caroline Spelman, the Environment Secretary, said: "Drought is already an issue this year with the southeast, Anglia and other parts of the UK now officially in drought, and more areas are likely to be affected as we continue to experience a prolonged period of very low rainfall. It is not just the responsibility of Government, water companies and businesses to act against drought. We are asking for the help of everyone by urging them to use less water and to start now."
The emergency, which conservationists warn will imperil wildlife as water resources are shared out to fill reservoirs from rivers already running far below seasonal averages, has its roots in a cycle of uncommonly dry winters, meaning the so-called "recharge season" has failed in many places for two years running.
Last year was the driest in England and Wales for 90 years, prompting the Environment Agency to warn then that rainfall 20 per cent above the average was needed between December and this April. Instead, precipitation has been nearly a third below average.
The result, when combined with dry ground conditions that make sudden bursts of rain more likely to wash straight into rivers rather than soak into aquifers, is a litany of shortages.
Bewl Water, the Kent reservoir which supplies a large part of the county and neighbouring East Sussex, is only 41 per cent full, prompting Southern Water to apply for a drought permit to restock from the River Medway, itself classified as running "exceptionally low".
The amount of water in the River Lea, running through Hertfordshire and northeast London, is less than a quarter of its usual level while the Kennet is running at 31 per cent and is completely dry west of Marlborough.
Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire, as well as parts of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire and west Norfolk, are still in the same state of drought declared last summer while London and the Thames Valley have experienced below-average rainfall in 18 of the last 23 months.
Water companies, who answer criticism of their leakage record with figures showing water losses have gone down by 35 per cent, are urging customers to turn off the tap while brushing teeth and take shorter showers.
Richard Aylard, sustainability director of Thames Water, said: "There is a high chance we will need restrictions at some stage this summer unless either we get a lot of rain or fantastic co-operation from customers using less water."
Farmers, whose ability to store water for irrigation has been restricted by low river levels, are warning of dramatic decreases in yields as growers turn away from thirsty crops such as potatoes, onions and other vegetables.
Andrew Brown, chairman of the National Farmers' Union in the South-east, said: "People are already starting to alter their cropping procedure. I was talking to a farmer at the end of last week who said he was going to plant 20 per cent fewer root and vegetable crops. That means a £50,000 ($94,000) hit for him. So it's a big, big concern."
For wildlife the situation is also dire. The Environment Agency has removed thousands of fish from five rivers across the Midlands and southern England while the RSPB warned one of its key reserves - Titchwell Marsh in Norfolk - is facing problems after freshwater springs dried up.
- Independent
