Environment Agency The National Drought Group has urged people to use water wisely following a meeting to discuss pressure on water resources and the environment following this summer’s heat wave. The environment has suffered due to the driest May to July across England since 1921. The Environment Agency (EA) responded to a 330% increase in significant drought-related incidents as teams acted to protect wildlife and rescue fish struggling due to low river flows. Numerous species, habitats, birds, trees and aquatic life have been affected by the hot, dry summer and high demand for water. EA hydrologists recorded ‘exceptionally low’ river flows for 5 weeks in a row, reservoir stocks for England as a whole were at historic lows for the end of July and soils were the driest on record in the North West.

The EA’s Chief Executive, Sir James Bevan, chaired the National Drought Group meeting and received updates from water companies, discussed ways to protect the environment and sustain support for farmers and businesses. Water companies were asked to outline progress against agreed action plans to maintain water supplies while protecting the environment. They reported that there are no current plans to bring in Temporary Use Bans (hosepipe bans) although water restrictions remain a possibility if rainfall in September is low. Click here to read more