The National Drought Group met again yesterday morning (Thursday 27^th August) to discuss the current water resources situation across England as almost three quarters of the country remains in drought.

Ongoing work by National Drought Group members has increased, including heightened incident response, additional monitoring, and more cross-sector and public communication, and weekly meetings. 

 While there were no status changes yesterday, the situation remains serious. The first meaningful rain since June fell across many parts of the country this week, but there is a noticeable geographical divide, with several areas in drought receiving the least.

 Meanwhile, there have been reports of surface water flooding in some parts due to heavy thunderstorms this week and Environment Agency teams are out on the ground, taking action to manage that risk and support communities where needed.

 A few rivers have responded to the rainfall with a slight increase in flows but they will soon drop when the rain eases. Reservoir storage and groundwater levels continue to decline, as expected. 

 At the meeting, water companies shared their experiences of leakage control from last year’s drought, with the expectation all companies will continue to work hard to reduce leaks – which increase in hot weather as pipes move in dry soil. There was also an update on increased communications surrounding water saving to support customers.

The meeting was chaired by Water Minister Emma Hardy who said: “We know this summer's hot and dry weather has been challenging, and the recent rainfall, while welcome, is nowhere near enough to end the current drought.

 “Our climate has changed and we will continue to take all action necessary to support communities facing these pressures of both drought and flash flooding.

 "As we approach autumn, we expect water companies to take every available step to minimise leakage, follow their drought plans, and reduce consumption to help avoid any further restrictions.”

Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, Philip Duffy, said: “A few days or even weeks of wetter weather cannot reverse the impacts of several months of exceptionally dry conditions.

 “Today’s yellow thunderstorm warnings show it’s possible to experience simultaneous drought and flood as heavy rain falls on compacted soils.

 “Drought conditions will continue to worsen until we receive sustained rainfall across the country and we still all have a role to play in conserving precious water supplies.

 “We ask people to carry on following the restrictions, where in place, and continue to save water such as by turning off taps when brushing teeth and using an eco-setting on household appliances. 

 “Small steps will leave more in the environment for our wildlife, our local rivers, and our farmers who are still struggling with the drought impacts.” 

The current water situation is:  

• The rainfall in August to date is 34% of what we would expect so far.  

• There are large regional variations – 15% of long-term average in south east England to 59% in north east England. 

• There were some modest rises in river flows, in those catchments which received meaningful rainfall last week. But the majority have seen declines with 58% classed as notably or exceptionally low for the time of year.   

• The Environment Agency remains particularly concerned at the impact the drought is having on the River Severn. It has applied for a Drought Order to Defra to reduce the amount of water that companies can abstract from the river. This is under consideration.  

• Reservoir levels have fallen to 59.8% - 18.2% lower than to be expected for this time of year.    

• The recent dry weather has had a marked impact on soil moisture. A sustained period of rainfall is needed first to replenish soil stores of water before we are likely to see the onset of groundwater recharge or rise in river baseflows.  

• Intense rainfall in a short space of time though could increase the risk of surface water flooding.  

• It will take sustained rainfall over an extended period before the overall drought position materially improves. 

• The Environment Agency has recorded 266 incidents linked to drought, including algal blooms, low flows, and fish deaths. 

• The number of fish in distress incidents has risen throughout the months, with anyone concerned about fish welfare or dry rivers urged to report it to the Environment Agency's incident hotline rather than attempting to move fish themselves on 0800 80 70 60. 

• Ten water companies in England have imposed restrictions, impacting 30 million customers. They are: Affinity Water, Anglian Water, Bristol Water, Cambridge Water, Essex & Suffolk Water, Southern Water, South East Water, Thames Water, South West Water and Wessex Water.     

• Southern Water has applied for two Drought Orders.  The first is to maintain normal abstraction rates from the River Test even during low flows and the second is for a non-essential use ban. These are both under consideration by Defra.    

• National Drought Group members are proud supporters of the Let’s Save Water campaign.