Drought declared in East of England after driest summer on record
It comes after an exceptionally dry few weeks in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex
Last updated 12th Aug 2022
A drought has been declared in the East of England following the driest summer on record.
The conditions, which have almost completely deprived some areas of rainfall all summer, have prompted the National Drought Group to make the announcement.
Parts of the South West, southern and central England are also covered by the warning.
The change could lead to more measures such as hosepipe bans, however, the Environment Agency has reassured the public that essential water supplies are safe.
The NDG is made up of representatives from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), water companies, the Environment Agency (EA), the National Farmers' Union (NFU), Natural England, Consumer Council for Water, water services regulator Ofwat, Water UK and the Drinking Water Inspectorate, as well as the Angling Trust and the Rivers Trust.
Ciaran Nelson, a spokesperson for Anglian Water, said:
“Today’s declaration of drought across the region we supply serves to underline the seriousness of the situation. But because of the investments we’ve made and the support of our customers, we still do not envisage needing a hosepipe ban in our region this summer.
“Over the last decade we’ve spent hundreds of millions improving resilience. Schemes like a new water treatment works for Lincoln, massive engineering schemes that mean we can move water all the way from Rutland to Milton Keynes, and the creation of additional back-up supplies for Norwich, have all helped.
“Schemes like this mean we’ve been able to keep our reservoirs topped up to around 80%, and to reduce the pressure on our underground aquifers which are about average, or just below, for the time of year. Just 5% of the water we use comes directly from rivers.
“The resilience we’ve created, combined with the best leakage record in the industry and 90% of our customers having meters, means we’re able to manage drawn out periods of intense hot weather. We can’t ‘make more water’, so we must do all we can to look after what we have.
“Just because we don’t have a hosepipe ban, though, doesn’t mean people can be reckless with water. The less we and our customers use, the more can be left in the environment."
Water minister Steve Double said action was already being taken by the Government, the EA and others to manage the impacts.
"All water companies have reassured us that essential supplies are still safe, and we have made it clear it is their duty to maintain those supplies", he said.
"We are better prepared than ever before for periods of dry weather, but we will continue to closely monitor the situation, including impacts on farmers and the environment, and take further action as needed."
The Met Office recorded just 5.4mm of rainfall in East Anglia last month. In 2021 the region saw 58.3mm.
According to the NFU, crops such as sugar beet and maize are showing signs of stress from a lack of rain, while crops relying on irrigation, such as field vegetables and potatoes, are also facing problems.
NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw said the situation was "hugely challenging" for farmers who were facing running out of irrigation water and having to use winter feed for animals because of a lack of grass.
The NFU also said "tinder dry" standing crops and parched grass posed a huge risk of fires spreading.
Essex Fire and Rescue is among local fire services urging people not to light BBQs or bonfires in the heat.
Mark Hardingham, chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council, said: "While we are likely to see more wildfires due to the current conditions, it is impossible to say whether this will be more than when the country experienced 40-degree temperatures.
"The bigger risk at the moment is a combination of temperature and wind speed, which will contribute to fire spread and makes incidents harder to manage and extinguish."
However, he added brigades were "well prepared and have plans in place" to respond.