The government has urged water companies not to lose momentum and carry on water efficiency measures until the drought is over.

The latest National Drought Group meeting stressed that there were no changes in status, with almost three-quarters of England remaining in drought. It follows an exceptionally dry spring and summer, alongside a succession of heatwaves.

Water company chief executives were called upon to give updates on their leakage reduction plans, as well as autumn and winter preparedness.

New research has shown England needs 120 per cent of typical rainfall over the next seven months for all areas to be considered out of drought.

The National Drought Group, which includes the government, Met Office, regulators, water companies, farmers, Canal & River Trust, anglers, and conservation experts, is now meeting weekly to monitor the situation and coordinate action as part of the heightened incident response.

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Water Minister Emma Hardy said: “The recent rainfall is not yet enough to replenish all the water we’ve used over the last six months, and I will be carefully monitoring the actions of water companies which will be vital as we go through the autumn.

“They need to maintain momentum. We expect to see leaks fixed quickly, drought plans followed without delay and continued work to reduce demand to help avoid any further restrictions.

“Long-term resilience is a priority for this government, and we are working with water companies and regulators on nine major reservoirs to secure future supplies.”

In August, The National Drought Group warned pressure on water resources is increasing across agriculture, public supplies and the environment. This has raised concerns over the availability, quality and cost of British-grown fruit and vegetables for retailers.

The UK government had previously announced a £65 million package to help farmers impacted by drought, including funding up to £15 million to build on-farm reservoirs, helping farmers to better store more water when it rains.

Photo by Niklas Weiss on Unsplash