The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that much of southern and eastern England is now officially in a state of drought.

The announcement came as Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman hosted a drought summit. In parts of south-east England groundwater levels are lower than in the dry summer of 1976.

Speaking after the water summit, Caroline Spelman said:

"Ensuring we have enough water this summer is vitally important. Drought is already an issue this year with the South East, Anglia and other parts of the UK now officially in drought, and more areas are likely to be affected as we continue to experience a prolonged period of very low rainfall.

It is not just the responsibility of government, water companies and businesses to act against drought. We are asking for the help of everyone by urging them to use less water and to start now."

The summit, which was called by the Environment Secretary after another year of much lower than average rainfall, brought together key players in the water industry to discuss what is already being done to tackle drought and to decide upon actions that need to be taken to mitigate against its impact in the future.

As parts of the UK have been affected by droughts for many months and prolonged periods of heavy rainfall in the near future are unlikely according to recent Met Office forecasts, the Environment Secretary urged water companies, businesses, and people to find ways of reducing water waste and water usage.

At the summit the Environment Agency presented an in-depth analysis of the current drought situation and the subsequent effects on the environment. This then led to a focused discussion on actions that must be implemented to act against the environmental bearing of such dry conditions.

Places in drought  Berkshire Buckinghamshire Cambridgeshire east Gloucestershire East Sussex Hampshire Hertfordshire Kent

Lincolnshire London Oxfordshire parts of Bedfordshire parts of Northamptonshire Surrey west Norfolk West Sussex

 

Water companies at high risk of drought have agreed to:

• reduce water losses and increase leakage detection;
• engage and communicate with their customers to help them understand the current position and encourage them to use water wisely;
• co-ordinate temporary restrictions on water use, such as hosepipe bans, from an early stage in the spring where necessary; and
• talk to the Environment Agency about drought permits as early as possible. Companies need to factor in that demand measures should be in place before a company applies for a drought permit during the spring and summer.

The Environment Agency’s national and local drought teams will continue to lead on managing and monitoring drought and its effects locally. This will include:

• encouraging farmers to set up water abstractor groups and consider on-farm storage;
• keeping farmers up to date about the local risk of drought restrictions next spring and summer to try and avoid irrigation bans;
• issuing warnings and advice on the prospects for spray irrigation.
• preparing more detailed action plans in consultation with others for 2012 if the dry weather continues
• carrying out environmental monitoring studies to determine the long-term impacts on fisheries and biodiversity and share the results with interested groups and communities;
• determining water company drought permits (and support government on drought orders) where required;
• beginning to look ahead to 2013 at the possible implications and actions of a third dry winter in drought affected areas; and
• checking abstractors are complying with conditions on their abstraction licences and take enforcement action against those who don’t.

In early March the Environment Agency will publish its latest drought prospects report, which sets out the areas that are likely to be affected by drought in spring and summer 2012. The report aims to help water companies, farmers and other water abstractors plan for the year ahead, and sets out clear actions that these groups should take to help manage the country’s valuable water supplies.