Perilous
Times and Climate Change
UK: Watering ban looms for 20 million users as the lingering
drought bites hard
Up to 20 million homes face hosepipe bans by the end of the month
and the restrictions could last throughout the summer in a bid to
stave off a worsening drought.
Rivers and groundwater levels are lower than during the drought of
1976
By Richard Alleyne
7:01AM GMT 12 Mar 2012
The Telegraph UK
A government report is expected to show that the drought could
lead to higher bread, vegetable, fruit and beer prices.
The Drought Prospects Report by the Environment Agency is due out
tomorrow and will outline expected water restrictions and announce
drought action guidelines for spring and summer.
It is expected upgrade the rest of the Midlands and Yorkshire to
be being at “high risk” of joining much of the south and east as
official drought areas.
Anglian, Southern, Thames, South East and Veolia in the Home
Counties, which together have a total of 20 million customers, are
understood to have plans to bring in bans within two to four
weeks, it has been reported. Portsmouth Water and Sutton and East
Surrey Water may follow suit later this month.
Three weeks ago, nine water companies – including Thames,
Southern, Anglian and Portsmouth Water – jointly warned of
“hosepipes and non-essential use bans within a few weeks” unless
“dramatic” rain arrived.
Substantial rain has not arrived and senior industry sources said
the first water restrictions are due to be announced this week.
A spokesman for the Environment Agency said that non-essential use
such as hosepipe use, the cleaning of vehicles, and how ponds and
swimming pools are filled.
If the situation becomes even more serious then standpipes,
reducing water pressure and rotating water supply cuts could be
imposed.
The National Farmers Union said food price rises are “guaranteed”
in the absence of heavy rain until June.
A produce shortfall is expected as up to 20 per cent fewer arable
crops such as wheat and barley have been planted, while a reduced
yield is expected from remaining fields due to drought-hit stunted
crops.
Farming leaders predicted “very high” price spikes hitting all
home-grown vegetables – including potatoes, onions, carrots,
broccoli and cauliflowers – as well as all fruits.
The knock-on effect means the price of a loaf of bread is set to
rise, along with a host of other bakery and crop-based foods and
drinks – including beer.
The price of a pint could shoot up due to increased barley and
hops prices, the British Beer and Pub Association said.
Water companies, the NFU and meteorologists said up to 200 per
cent of normal rainfall is needed until June to ease the drought
stemming from the driest year since 1921 in places, with some
rivers and groundwater levels lower than in drought-hit 1976.
Reservoirs at Ardingley in West Sussex and Bewl in Kent are
"exceptionally low" at just 41 per cent of capacity and
groundwater levels, needed to fill underground aquifers, are low
at three-quarters of sites measured by the environment agency.
Instead, the Met Office forecast a dry month to mid-April, warning
of no repeat of the south-east’s 40mm of rain earlier this week,
the biggest rainfall for two months.
The Weather Channel forecast below-average rainfall until the
start of May.
The forecasts spell disaster as experts say it will be too late
improve soil moisture levels from April – as trees suck up giant
amounts of water as soon as they leaf – while up to 80 per cent of
all rainfall will evaporate from May, the Centre for Ecology and
Hydrology said.
But, amazingly, in drenched Scotland, soil has been so waterlogged
farmers were unable to plant winter crops including wheat, oilseed
rape, oat and barley. Wheat plantings were down 14 per cent year
on-year.
A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: "The recent rainfall
has all been welcome but there has not been enough to make any
significant difference.
"We would need continuous rain until the end of the month to make
any difference and forecasts suggest we are not going to get it.
“There have been two years’ below-average rainfall and it’s more
important than ever that we all use water wisely.
“We are working with businesses, farmers and water companies to
meet the challenges of the continued drought.”