Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman is hosting a drought summit which was called in response to the fact that groundwater levels in England are lower than levels seen in 1976, which was the hottest year on record. Parts of Eastern England are already in drought, and there are fears that the South East will now follow suit.
Weather this winter has been mainly dry in the South, which has largely contributed to the water shortage that parts of England now face. Thames Water believe that there are no more questions as to whether there will be a drought, but when there will be one, whilst Anglican Water claims some reservoir levels are 20% lower than normal.
Other signs of drought are also visible, especially on the River Kennet in Wiltshire, which is completely dry west of Malborough.
Ms Spelman has also warned of a probable hosepipe ban this year. She said, "We have had the second dry winter in a row. Whereas last year it was principally the farmers that were affected by the dry conditions and the public water supply was not affected, I think it is more likely that the public water supply will be affected unless we have substantial rainfall between now and the summer".
Water companies, farmers and wildlife groups have all been invited to attend the summit in an attempt to think about preventative measures. Despite the fact that some groups like the WWF feel this action comes too late, there is an immediate urge for people to try and save water.
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