The Environment Agency has declared drought status for the
north-west of England following the driest start to spring in 69
years.
River flows have been declining along with groundwater levels due
to the dry March, April and start of May.
Reservoir storage levels in the region are also receding and are
currently lower than they were at this time during the 1984, 1995
and 2022 drought years.
The recent rain, while welcome, is not enough to reverse the dry
start to the year and expected hotter weather in the coming weeks
is set to exacerbate the situation.
The decision by the EA to move into drought status sees the
regulator increase their operational response while ensuring
water companies step up the actions agreed in their drought
plans.
This includes fixing leaks, communicating with customers and
supporting them to reduce demand, and submitting drought permits
to take more water, as needed. These actions if taken in a timely
manner will help preserve supplies for people and the
environment.
In the North West, the EA continues to work to ensure United
Utilities acts in accordance with their drought plan.
Although the North-west has experienced a dry start to the year,
it is a mixed picture in other parts of England. The Environment
Agency and Defra ministers will convene a meeting of the
National Drought Group on 5 June to assess the situation
across the country and ensure that water companies are enacting
their drought plans to conserve water supplies.
, Water Regulation Manager at
the Environment Agency said:
Drought is a naturally occurring phenomenon. As we see more
impacts from climate change heavier rainfall and drier summers
will become more frequent. This poses an enormous challenge over
the next few decades.
Despite the rain over the weekend levels remain low and we are
encouraging people to be aware of the impacts of drought as we
enter the summer period.
With further unsettled periods and rainfall over the coming weeks
we will continue to closely monitor the situation and implement
our Drought Plan.
Water Minister said:
I am receiving regular updates from the Environment Agency.
I'm doing everything in my power to hold United Utilities to
account to ensure we have the regular supply of water that is
needed across the region.
The government is taking decisive action to secure our water
supply for the decades to come. That's why we are building 9 new
reservoirs and upgrading pipes to cut leakage by 17%.
Periods of dry weather and low rivers can have several
environmental consequences such as deoxygenating water. This can
lead to fish kills, as well as more algal blooms and diminished
river flow that prevents wildlife from moving up or
downstream.
The Environment Agency is encouraging the public to report
environmental incidents to their 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
Defra announced
today that the Environment Secretary was stepping in to
speed up delivery for the first two major reservoirs since the
1990s as part of government action to secure our water supply for
future generations.
Further information
A decision to declare drought is taken based on reservoir levels,
river flows and moisture in the soil along with consideration of
the long-term weather forecasts. Droughts are often
long-term events, starting as far back as the previous Autumn
with effects felt throughout the following seasons. Declaring
drought status enables the Environment Agency to plan, deliver
and manage actions in drought plans.
However, there is no single definition for drought, so while it's
caused by a period of low rainfall, the nature, timing and
impacts on people, the environment, agriculture or business will
vary. Some droughts are short and intense like a hot, dry summer,
while others are long and take time to develop over multiple
seasons.
Read more here: Drought
explained – Creating a better place
