Will 2022 be the year the UK faces a water crisis?
The writing has been on the wall for many years. Water demand in the south-east of England has been rising, unpredictable weather patterns are leading to longer-dry periods and there has been no significant long-term water conservation planning from either government or industry.
If the current dry spell continues there is a depressing predictability as to how the story will play out. Water companies will hastily demand that farmers, households and businesses cut water use and will seek permission to take more water from rivers. In response, the media and public will lambast the industry for not cutting leakage rates and point out high salaries of CEOs and profit dividends. A circular blame game will follow with everybody hoping a prolonged wet period will solve the problem.
Whatever happens the current approach is not sustainable, and the implications are significant. If farmers are banned from watering crops during the crucial August and September root vegetables, particular potatoes, could fail putting further pressures on food supply and raising costs. Increased water extraction from rivers increases pollution levels placing strains on nature.
In a worst-case scenario, taps in certain parts of the country could run dry. This has already happened to the village of Challock, Kent. For six days the village was largely without water forcing its school and pub to close. The village hall was converted into an emergency centre for distributing bottled water and even that was reported to have run out. To avoid this risk elsewhere, what change is needed?
The problem must be acknowledged by government
Despite numerous warnings, government has been asleep at the wheel. The current trivial political discourse misses tackling the fundamental challenges that the UK is facing due to a changing climate. This is not a ‘woke’ debate or the imposition of a nanny state, it is ensuring that people and businesses get access to water without significantly harming nature.
Moving water around the country is expensive and energy intensive but is possible. Creating a national water network should be considered along with tougher impositions on the water industry and regulation to make water conservation a core component of new developments.
Water companies need to change and be held to account
In my personal experience, water companies push the panic button when they fear supply is at risk and reduce investment when they perceive the threat is diminishing. This short-term approach placing profit above investment is at the heart of the problem. Ofwat needs to ensure there is adequate and consistent investment from the industry to ensure there is adequate supply in a changing climate.
Citizens and businesses have a role to play
Given the stop start nature of water conservation measures it is not surprising that people have little idea about the amount of water they use and feel there are limited things they can do to cut consumption. A survey in 2020 revealed that 46% of people believed their household used under 20 litres of day when the actual figure at the time was 142 litres per person (compared with 121 litres in Germany).
Whilst focussing on the inadequacies of the water industry and government has legitimacy it should not be used to allow ongoing wastage by citizens and business. A new ‘social contract’ is required with a commitment from all parties to make a concerted effort to cut water use. From a consumer perspective this will have the added of cutting utility bills at a time when costs are soaring.
Creative collaboration can create solutions
Evidence from around the world illustrates that radical reduction of water use is possible without hitting living standards. In 2018, Durban South Africa announced they faced ‘Day Zero’ when the city could run out of water. Through a series of measures including extensive metering, reusing shower water, limiting flushing and irrigating crops at night water usage dropped to 50 litres per person.
The south-east of the UK needs to develop more collaborative approaches making it easier for citizens and businesses to slash water use. This collaboration needs to include retailers, manufacturers, the water industry, farmers and citizen groups. Re-imaging how we use water needs to be reinforced with an on-going and hard-hitting public awareness campaign.
The media narrative needs to change
The threat of water shortages in the south-east will come as a surprise to many people as the UK is perceived as a wet country with high levels of rainfall and the media celebrate heatwaves as a chance to hit the beaches. This narrative needs to shift making people aware that fresh water is a precious and scarce resource which all of us need to use wisely.