UK: Using hosepipes has been banned and bottled water is in high demand amid the driest summer in decades
A drought was officially declared on Friday in eight out of 14 areas of England during what has been the driest summer in 50 years, the UK Environment Department said in a statement.
Parts of southwest, southern, central and eastern England, as well as North and South London, have had their status updated following a meeting of the National Drought Group, which includes Environment Agency experts, members of the government, water companies and key representative groups.
The formal declaration of a drought, which was last made in 2018, allows the Environment Agency and water companies to “step up their actions to manage the impacts and press ahead with implementing the stages of their pre-agreed drought plans.” These plans, among other steps, involve taking more water from rivers, imposing temporary restrictions such as on the use of hosepipes, transferring water between different areas of the country and even “reoxygenating water and rescuing fish in distress where river flows are especially low.”
Several major water companies have already announced restrictions on using hosepipes to water gardens, wash cars or fill paddling pools, with violators facing significant fines. The bans affect more than 32 million people in total.
Water companies are urging Britons to contribute to the effort by spending less time in the shower and even, under a radical proposal by Wessex Water, by flushing toilets “only when you need to.”
Amid drought warnings and soaring temperatures – reaching up to 35 degrees Celsius in London – the last few days have seen panic buying of water. Following the government’s drought announcement, some stores have reportedly started rationing bottled water.
According to the Met Office’s forecast, temperatures will fall early next week, with thunderstorms expected in most of England, Wales and Scotland.
Join: 👉 https://t.me/acnewspatriots
The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of AC.NEWS
Disclaimer: This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author. The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). AC.News will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in this article www.ac.news websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner. Reprinting this article: Non-commercial use OK. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.
Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. Nothing mentioned is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Discussion about this post