The National Drought Group (NDG) has said farmers are currently facing the problem of too much water, rather than too little.
The Environment Agency chaired its regular meeting of the group yesterday (Thursday, April 18) where it discussed the ongoing challenge of managing future droughts.
However, the meeting heard how England has experienced its wettest October to March period on record, and how the weather could impact this year’s growing season.
The group – which includes the Met Office, government, water companies, farmers, and conservation experts – noted no area is in drought and reservoir storage for England as a whole was 95% at the end of March.
The current water resource outlook means there is a low-risk that hosepipe bans will be needed this summer.
The Environment Agency has still instructed water companies to keep preparing for all rainfall scenarios and continue their work on demand management and leakage reduction.
The public have also been urged to continue playing their part in protecting the environment by using water wisely.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agency said they are supporting the agriculture sector to improve its water supply resilience in the short and long-term and ensuring farmers’ and growers’ needs are incorporated into regional water resources plans.
Part of this work includes helping farmers and growers to identify and screen options including new reservoirs and water sharing.
Environment Agency director of water, Helen Wakeham, who chaired the meeting said: “While it is positive that water supplies are currently in a favourable place, every drop we can save will help ensure our supplies are resilient into the future.
“Even following wet weather, we cannot be complacent with this precious resource.
“We all need to use water wisely, such as turning off taps when they are not needed or installing water butts in our gardens.
“At the same time, the Environment Agency will continue to work with the water, agriculture, and environment sectors, to prepare for droughts, which can come unexpectedly as we found in 2022.”
Safeguarding supply
Water minister Robbie Moore said: “It was promising to hear that water supplies are currently healthy – however, we all have a role to ensure this remains the case.
“We have been clear to water companies that as well as going further and faster to tackle pollution, they need to do more to secure future water supplies.
“This includes reducing leakage by at least 50% by 2050, as well as encouraging efficiency through an increased use of smart water meters.”
Moore said the government is securing significant investment to develop new infrastructure which would include building more reservoirs.
“We are also supporting farmers to store more water on their land with tens of millions of pounds delivered through the Water Management Grants to fund more on-farm reservoirs and works to improve irrigation.”
The meeting heard how all sectors are preparing for the summer as well as how they will cope with future droughts.
