Section:GDN 1N PaGe:13 Edition Date:190829 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 28/8/2019 18:34 cYanmaGentaYellowb
Thursday 29 Aug ust 2019 The Guardian •
13Patrick BarkhamDemand for water could outstrip
supply by 2035 in parts of northern
England, according to a report.
The recent focus on near-future
water shortages has been on south-east
England, where London’s consump-
tion already outstrips supply in dry
years, and the water com panies that
serve the capital are located in areas
classifi ed as seriously water stressed.
But the report for the thinktank IPPR
North warns that, despite its abun-
dance of water, the north could also
become water stressed , with signifi -
cant reductions in rainfall and water
fl ow alongside population increase,
economic growth and shortcomings
in water companies’ eff orts to reduce
leakage. The report says “northern
powerhouse” projects could be at risk
unless politicians plan ahead for the
climate crisis.
In Yorkshire and the Humber,
demand could outstrip supply by2035 unless households and busi-
nesses reduce their water use , the
report warns.
Although leakages are down by 38%
from their mid-1990s peak, leakage
rates have fl atlined over the p ast dec-
ade. Household water use is slowly
declining, but the current average of
141 litres per person per day is still sig-
nifi cantly higher than German y’s 121
litres a day, according to the report.
The north accounts for 41% of all
water abstracted across England, but
it relies far more on surface water than
elsewhere in the country. With global
heating, the likelihood of drought is
projected to increase, while average
summer river fl ows may decrease,
reducing water availability, even as
the risk of fl ooding is likely to increase,
particularly in winter.
The report says: “Although much
of the north – unlike parts of the south
of England – is not considered water-
stressed , the region’s water security
cannot be taken for granted. There are
very limited opportunities to substan-
tially increase the supply of water, for
example by building new reservoirs,
because of a lack of water availability,
abstraction limitations, and the likely
impact upon the natural environment.
“Instead, to ensure the region
remains water resilient, we will have to
make better use of our existing water
supply by managing demand, reduc-
ing leakage and encouraging greater
water effi ciency.”Parts of northern
England may be
short of water
within 16 years
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