Summer hosepipe ban a ‘strong possibility’ in Northampton after drought conditions
RESIDENTS are facing a summer of water restrictions because rainfall conditions in Northamptonshire have reached their worst level in 90 years.
The region is in its first drought since 1996, and the Environment Agency has warned that without critical amounts of water in the next few months the town faces a difficult summer.
The agency has urged residents to carefully consider their water usage in order to delay the strong possibility of a hosepipe ban.
Iain Page, the planning manager for water resources for Northamptonshire at the agency, said: “I know it seems strange to be talking about drought when there is still snow on the ground but that is a reflection of how serious this situation is.
“We have had a perpetual lack of rainfall for many months, it is critical and the prospect for rain in the next few months is poor.
“We are working closely with water companies, farmers, growers and environment charities to work through this difficult period.
“Water is a precious resource and we all need to think about our usage to delay restrictions. We don’t want to alarm people, but this is a serious situation.”
In November and December water levels in the River Nene were at the lowest for 40 years and in the 16 months leading up to January this year, its water flow was 20 per cent lower than the long term average, threatening the supply of water to the region.
The levels dropped so low that at the end of last year Anglian Water was forced to apply for a special permit to continue taking water for the river.
But the permit runs out next month, and the Environment Agency is unlikely to grant another because of the implications on the river, should the weather continue, leaving the company short of supply.
The Environment Agency has the power to restrict water usage by farmers and growers in the region throughout the summer, but insisted it was an “absolute last resort”.
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman has called a drought summit next week.
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Weather for Northampton
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 9 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Finker
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 01:52 PMNow there's an idea!
lady muck
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:40 AMFinker...dig a well by the fence...
Finker
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 09:30 AMCrispy1, I agree although one of my neighbours leaves the hose running for 1-2 hours every night over the summer to water his lawn. Needless to say he isn't on a meter but I am also sure lots of that carefully treated water just soaks down into the ground with on real benefit.
Chrispy1
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:04 AMThe rainfall in Northamptonshire makes about 24 inches per year. It hasn't changed much in over 200 years. Despite what Willi suggests, that's actually quite a modest level of rain - Eastern England is quite a dry part of the world (it's just that you never know when it will fall!). What HAS changed though is the doubling of homes in Northampton within 30 years, and the lack of infrastructure built to cope with it. It's quite unfair for AW to impose hosepipe bans, what it needs to do is build more reservoirs from its much higher income, and cut its own huge leakages.
lady muck
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 07:25 PMIf this country were serious about preserving the water supply, it would be compulsory for all new houses to have cisterns to contain rainwater run-off and recycling to lavatory cisterns.
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Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 12:51 PMThis is made up news. Leaking pipes? Where does the water go? Back into the ground. Where it came from in the first place. "Drought summit" what a load of trollock. Nothing better to do.
darushNN10
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 12:37 PMWhat a shame we don't live on an island surrounded by water and can't build desalination plants to purify it.
willi eckaslyke
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 12:34 PMThere's been a chronic shortage of water in this country since the day it was privatised..(even though we remain ankle-deep in the stuff most of the time)
Fruitcake
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 11:18 AMIn 2010 the Independent newspaper revealed that 3.3 billion litres of water was being leaked from pipes looked after by water companies in England and Wales every single day. That's 20% of the nation's supply and enough water to supply 21.5 million people each day. Perhaps they should get their own house in order before applying for special licences to extract more from rivers and putting restrictions on use. Oh and of course your Anglian Water bills are going up and the CEO gets a healthy salary of course.
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