From Waterwise newsletter
During the driest May since records began, demand for water was the highest that it’s ever been. Water UK reported an average overall increase in water use of 20%, with some areas hitting 40% above normal for the time of year – representing an increase of more than 2.2 billion litres per day across the UK. The rise in water use has been attributed to the combined effect of the very dry weather, and people being at home more due to the COVID-19 lockdown. This pattern continued into June, with some companies reporting increases on demand of 70% in garden use.
In response to the soaring demand, Waterwise and Water UK teamed up to encourage people to adopt more water saving practices, while staying healthy and hydrated, and continuing to wash their hands regularly. In particular, people were urged to be mindful of their water use during times of peak demand, to help water companies meet the increased demand and also maintain water pressure. You can see the press release with quotes from Christine McGourty (Water UK) and Nicci Russell (waterwise) here.
Read more at Water UK and at Waterwise.
Meanwhile, the likelihood of 40C temperatures in the UK is ‘rapidly accelerating’ according to the Met Office. Read the article here. Also reported by the BBC. The research found that the UK could hit 40C temperatures “regularly” by 2100 if global carbon emissions remain high. The study also explicitly linked the last two summers – which were uncomfortably hot across much of Europe – to human influence on the climate. The South East of England, according to the study, is the region most likely to be hit by extreme heat, with temperatures of above 35C becoming an almost annual occurrence by the end of the century.
Anglian Water meanwhile has agreed joint advice with both Natural England and the Environment Agency in favour of the tighter water efficiency standard of 110 litres /person /day for all new homes in the east of England.
According to this tweet, this is “great news, but really we need a mandatory 100l/p/d standard applied across England”.