Environment Agency ‘The NDG met on Thursday 25 July, chaired by Harvey Bradshaw, Executive Director of the Environment Agency, to assess the latest water resource situation and actions being taken to reduce the impact of drought conditions this summer.
A statement issued by the Group after the meeting said that some parts of England have experienced a lack of rain since winter 2016/2017 which is now causing impacts for agriculture and the environment. While June’s rainfall provided some relief after a very dry spring, it has not replenished low groundwater levels in east and south east England. It could be some time before the water resources situation returns to normal ranges, the statement says. The group acknowledged the growing concern over the potential impacts of prolonged dry weather on the environment and the cumulative effect from last year. The NDG is urging water users to do all that is needed to sustain water supplies and ease pressure on the environment.
The NDG is warning continuing dry July and early August could mean a large number of abstraction licence controls which curtail the abstraction of water, will be in place in parts of England during the final weeks of the peak irrigation season finishing off crops such as potatoes and carrots.’