National Drought Group agrees further steps to manage the current drought

This week, the National Drought Group met to discuss the ongoing drought situation. Representatives from the Government and other key stakeholders, including the CLA, were present.

The meeting acknowledged that this has been the driest summer for 50 years, and the driest ever recorded for southern England. The prolonged hot dry weather has led to exceptionally low river flows and low groundwater levels and a decline in reservoir levels with some well below average for the time of year. There has also been a very large increase in demand for water and significant environmental impacts, with rivers and ponds drying out and fish and other wildlife dying or in distress.

Large parts of the country are now in drought status: Devon & Cornwall/Isles of Scilly; Solent and South Downs; Thames; Hertfordshire and North London; Kent and South London; East Anglia; Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire; East Midlands; and Yorkshire. The West Midlands has today been announced as the most recent area to move into drought status, meaning ten of the Environment Agency’s 14 areas are now in drought. Other areas classed as being in ‘prolonged dry weather’ include Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire; Wessex; and the North East. The only area now at ‘normal water resource’ status is Cumbria and Lancashire.

The recent rainfall in some parts of the country is not enough to replenish rivers, groundwater or reservoirs to normal levels. That will require a return to sustained average or above average rainfall over the coming months. Until - and unless - that happens, many areas will remain in drought.

The recent rainfall in some parts of the country is not enough to replenish rivers, groundwater or reservoirs to normal levels. That will require a return to sustained average or above average rainfall over the coming months. Until - and unless - that happens, many areas will remain in drought.

It was noted that there is no threat to essential water supplies. The water companies have confirmed that they have and will continue to have enough water for all essential household and business needs. There is however a need to continue to manage water resources carefully over the coming weeks and months to ensure that the needs of the public, farmers and industry, and nature and wildlife are met. All participants agreed that they would continue to work together to do so.

The water companies are responsible for providing water to their customers, ensuring that public water supply is secure, and for maintaining supplies whilst minimising environmental impact.

The group agreed that sufficient rainfall over the autumn and winter would replenish rivers, lakes, groundwaters and reservoirs to normal levels by the spring; but that planning should begin now, on a precautionary basis, on how best to manage any water shortfalls that might arise in 2023 in the event of a dry autumn and/or winter.

Some of the new measures from the Environment Agency include:

• Monitoring and predicting river flows and groundwater levels, increasing the number of checks in important locations.
• Managing water users’ abstraction licences to balance the needs of water companies, other abstractors and the natural environment.
• Carrying out irrigation patrols and other compliance checks to ensure abstractors are complying with licence restrictions.
• Responding to incidents caused by low river flows and high temperatures, including fish rescues and wildfires.
• Operating its water transfer schemes to maintain river flows and groundwater levels to support wildlife and facilitate abstraction by water companies for public supply.
• Supporting farmers and growers, including by helping them continue to access water while balancing their needs with that of the public water supply, other abstractors and the environment; and by providing advice and guidance.
• Actively managing river levels and conserving water on the Thames and other rivers for which the EA is the navigation authority on behalf of river users and abstractors.

Commenting on the findings from the latest meeting, CLA President Mark Tufnell, said: “It is reassuring that the National Drought Group will be accelerating action to ensure long-term water security and continuing to carefully monitor water resources over the coming months to ensure that the needs of farmers, rural industries, and nature remain secure." Mark continued: "On-farm reservoirs will be a crucial piece of the water resilience jigsaw, but they take time to build and require considerable capital. We urge Defra and its agencies as well as DLUHC to come up with a way of aligning funding, planning permission and abstraction decisions so that our members have the certainty and pace they need to make this investment”.

Going forward, Mark stated that: “Although the government has commented that essential supplies are safe, we remain concerned that water for agriculture is not included as an essential supply. Secure water for food is critical to ensure the produce British consumers expect will be on supermarket shelves next year.”

It was agreed that the NDG’s Water Supply Sub-Group will meet next month to take this forward and report to the NDG in October on progress. The EA will lead an NDG exercise in December to test plans.