News
East Of England Facing Water Shortages Of 1.6bn Litres A Day ‘By 2050’
A new report has suggested that the east of England will be hit with water shortages of up to 1.6 billion litres a day by the 2050s, meaning that if current water usage practices do not evolve, the region will have to find enough water to supply up to six million people.
The study, published by Water Resource East (WRE), indicates that by the 2050s, the east of England will need to find additional water resources of between 531 and 1,656 megalitres a day, Essex Live reports.
On a typical day, this part of the country uses 2,311 million litres of water, some 85 per cent of which is for public water supply. The rest is used for the likes of power generation, spray irrigation, manufacturing and the food and drink sectors.
WRE’s managing director Dr Robin Price described the situation as “very worrying and very stark”, quoted by the news source as saying: “Two things are terrifying about [the] numbers.
“The first is the size – 531 megalitres is enough to supply around two million customers. That is an enormous number and the other worrying thing is the gap between those numbers. Some of the work we are doing is understanding the future demand for water.
“Whatever, it is staggering and without action the region is going to run short of water by an enormous volume by the 2050s. All the headlines like the ‘Jaws of Death’ are true. There is big trouble brewing.”
A representative from the Environment Agency made further comments, saying that increasing pressure is being put on water resources by climate change and population growth – and if action isn’t taken, there will be insufficient water to supply future needs.
As such, the Agency is now working in close partnership with water companies, water users and the government to help protect the environment.
Businesses also have a part to play in protecting this precious resource for future generations and now’s the time to prioritise better water management across your site.
There are all sorts of strategies you can employ that will help you save water and money at the same time, with benefits including early water leak detection, reduced water bills, the ability to claim cash back on previous water bill errors and reassurance that future bills will be accurate.
You’ll also be able to save time and space thanks to reduced paper documentation, as well as giving your business a serious boost with regards to your green credentials.
Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the impact that human activity is having on the planet and, as such, they’re becoming more selective about which companies they choose to spend their money with… so reducing your water footprint could yield all sorts of positive results where your bottom line is concerned.