Current water shortages in the south-east of the country underline the fact that the UK, with its densely-settled population, has less water for each person than Spain and Portugal. Ian Barker, Teresa Evans and Barrie Clarke diagnose the problem and suggest solutions.

We need sustainable development

Barrie Clarke is optimistic

Apocalypse soon – the message of many anguished reports – is increasingly focused on ‘the UK water crisis’. Any equivocation is called complacent, but we humans have always faced shortage; overcoming it is the mark of our success. This will continue.

We are facing shortage in some areas because, however unnecessary to point out, demand has increased, while supply has not – especially this summer, after 10 months of below average rainfall. The growth is a function of our higher standard of living, which has many watery links: personal health and hygiene, enjoyment of gardens and nicer cityscapes. We could be more efficient, but the rise in demand (1 per cent a year for the past half century or longer) is less than half the GDP figure.

Problem explained

Changing expectations have led demographic change. The atomising national family is pushing up demand – average per capita consumption moves from 124 litres per person per day to 201 litres as household size falls from 6 to 1. (See ref. 1 below) And population shifts – notably to the south-east where settlement is comparatively dense and rainfall comparatively low – compound the problem. London will welcome up to 800,000 new citizens by 2015.

Meanwhile, supply has been hit: by pollution (from farms and industry); disappearance of natural storage (as wetlands are drained); planning policy allowing more concrete (faster run-off = lower recharge of groundwater); more intense weather (ditto); and relative under-investment (as government, regulators and water companies prioritised more pressing problems).

A problem then, but the very human wish to disappoint the doomsayers has provided an answer: sustainable development. We shall overcome by collaborating to deliver economic and social goals within environmental limits, as government proposes. We need a twin-track commitment to sustainable demand and supply.

Sustainable development

We already have effective short-term demand strategies. The Water Act 2003 makes water companies’ drought plans statutory by 2007. In the longer term, we must waste less.

Waterwise, a new group funded by the companies, is making the economic case. Houses and businesses can be more water-efficient; revised building regulations and a sustainable building code will help. With regulatory agreement, the companies are investing more in maintaining and renewing leaky infrastructure.

This will be matched by increased supply. Crucially, development and water resources plans will be made side by side. The result will be more natural storage – wetlands renewed or created; less pollution through better river catchment management; new reservoirs gaining public support to improve supply (and recreation and biodiversity); and efficient desalination to meet peak time demand.

Sustainable water policy can help us achieve a secure supply without compromising the development that has made us so successful a species.

References

1. Thames Water in Managing Water Resources and Flood Risk in the South East, IPPR 2005. Download here (PDF 1.4MB).

Barrie Clarke is the Director of Communication at Water UK, which represents UK water and wastewater service suppliers at national and European level