Understanding the issues:
Water Scarcity
The UK is on the brink of a water crisis.
A combination of over-abstraction, increasing demand, and outdated infrastructure is drying up our rivers and threatening the ecosystems, communities, and wildlife they support.
Alongside the threat of climate change, and without swift action, the UK could find its demand for fresh water exceeding the available supply within a decade – this is called water scarcity. We have the tools and knowledge to secure long-term water resilience and protect our rivers – but the time to act is now.
The problems
Leaky pipes
The UK’s ageing water infrastructure currently loses around 20% of our water supply to leaking pipes across England and Wales – enough to supply 20 million people each day. Fixing this could drastically improve water availability and resilience to climate change and future increases in demand due to population growth.
Outdated infrastructure
The UK’s population is expected to increase by over 7 million by 2050, requiring an additional 4.8 billion litres a day. This significant increase in domestic and industrial water consumption requires investment in infrastructure to ensure water resilience. However, zero reservoirs have been built in the UK since the water industry was privatised in 1992. While EA committed to building seven new reservoirs by 2050, reports estimate around 30 are actually needed.
Over-abstraction
Abstraction is the process of extracting water from our rivers and groundwaters for purposes of industry, agriculture, and household consumption. Despite abstraction being heavily licensed, this does not prevent water being extracted at a rate faster than our waterways can naturally replenish. In some regions, abstraction levels are so high that it leaves rivers and streams with no flow for months, starving ecosystems of the water they need to survive. This is particularly harmful to chalk streams, 28 of which are currently over-abstracted, threatening permanent environmental damage to their sensitive ecosystems.
Climate change
Increasingly extreme weather patterns and events, with hotter, drier summers, are putting our water supplies at risk. Higher temperatures are combined with greater frequency and intensity of drought during the summer months. Climate change could result in some rivers having 50–80% less water in summer months by 2050.
Pictured: The dry riverbed of the River Quin
Pictured: The River Mimram runs dry
The impacts
Significant ecological damage
Lower river flows reduce oxygen levels, increase temperatures, devastate fish populations, and ultimately disrupt the delicate balance of freshwater ecosystems. Notably:
- Decreased volumes of water reduce available shelter and prevent fish migrating up and down rivers to complete their life cycles
- Pollutants become more concentrated as there’s less water to dilute them
- Sediments build up and clog waterways without the natural flow rate to wash it away.
This has led iconic species like otters, kingfishers, and brown trout to be at risk of extinction.
Source: WildFish
Economy, food-security & industry
Abundant clean freshwater enables every aspect of our economy, from food production and local business, to tourism and technology. Water shortages could cost the economy billions in lost productivity, food shortages, and damage to water-dependent industries. In London alone, water scarcity is estimated to cost £500,000,000 a day.
Household supply
Water restrictions, already affecting some areas, will become more frequent, with potential cuts to daily supply of households. It’s estimated that, without intervention, some regions could experience severe shortages by 2040.
The Solutions
Without swift action, our rivers will continue to run dry, ecosystems will collapse, and communities will face increasing water scarcity. We have the tools and knowledge to prevent this — but the time for action is now. In particular, we recommend the following:
Infrastructure overhaul
Immediate investment in the UK’s ageing water infrastructure is critical. Fixing leaks could recover up to 3 billion litres each day, reducing the strain on natural water sources. According to the second National Infrastructure Assessment (NIC, 2023) £20 billion in new funding is required over the next 30 years to update infrastructure to cope with the grand challenges of increased demand and climate change – the lion’s share of which should be covered by the water industry, who have instead shelled out profits and dividends to shareholders.
Review of abstraction licences
The current abstraction license framework is rigid, outdated, and unfit for purpose. Licenses were largely set in the 1960s and 1970s, and many have not been reviewed or updated to reflect modern needs, especially in the face of climate change and increasing demand for water.
The EA should conduct a thorough review of its licenses, and move towards sustainable water abstraction that balances human needs with environmental protection.
Stricter regulation
EA has experienced budget cuts of at least 66% over the last decade, leading to a significant decrease in its ability to uphold the law. Stricter cross-sector regulation which accounts for both water companies and farmers is urgently needed, with a fair and transparent system in which everyone understands the law.
Special protection for chalk streams
Currently only 15 out of 220 British chalk streams have any legal protections as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
Their immense ecological value deserves bespoke protection, as outlined by the CaBA Chalk Stream Restoration Strategy. This should prevent new developments near chalk streams and designate them as ‘irreplaceable habitats’.
Additionally, water companies should outline clear, ambitious, and actionable plans to reduce their abstraction and mitigate the threats of climate change. The government must recognise the international value of chalk streams and grant them the protection they deserve.
