Source: BBC1: News at Ten
URL: N/A
Date: 07/06/2012
Event: "The water situation in the UK is becoming critical"
People:
George Alagiah: Weather warnings have been issued this evening, with winds of 70 mph and heavy rainfall expected over parts of Britain. After record rainfall in April, water companies have lifted drought orders in parts of England and are rethinking hosepipe bans in some areas. But, while the immediate water shortage might be easing, experts have warned that the long-term problems with Britain's water supplies have reached a critical point. Emma Simpson reports.
Emma Simpson: Summer it ain't. This was the Royal Cornwall Show today, where it was so wet and windy that sheep were deemed safer outside, as the tents were in danger of collapse. The half-term break is fast becoming a washout. It started during the weekend Jubilee pageant.
[Scene of a soggy-looking choir singing Land of Hope and Glory.]
Emma Simpson: Land of coats and brollies, more like. It's hard to believe there's a hospeipe ban in much of the country. But all this wet weather is starting to have an impact.
Nicola Poole: There's been a real big turnaround. The record-breaking April weather has dramatically increased our river levels, and it's given the reservoirs an opportunity to fill as well. That's made a real difference for people and businesses, and farmers as well, because it means the risk of further restrictions has now much greatly reduced over the summer.
Emma Simpson: Here's how the picture's been changing. In mid-March, drought orders are already in place. But they spread still further, over the following weeks, thanks to some unseasonably hot weather. But then, after the heavy rain, drought status was lifted from many areas in the South-west, the Midlands and Yorkshire. Despite the rain, a hospeipe ban was put in place for much of East Anglia and the South-east. But for how much longer? Today, Thames Water, the UK's biggest water company, said that unless the weather took an unexpectedly Saharan twist, its ban will be lifted sooner than expected.
[Scene of Emma Simpson, standing next to a huge expanse of water.]
Emma Simpson: Well, there's plenty of water in this vast reservoir. But there's a warning today that the hosepipe ban should be a wakeup call, that we need to do much more to preserve our future supplies.
Phillip Mills: The water situation in the UK is becoming critical, and so we do need to think about it now. The situation is just going to get worse because of the impacts of climate change, with less rainfall, so less water availability.
[Scene of slow-moving traffic moving through heavy rain.]
Emma Simpson: You wouldn't think so today. This was Devon, and there's not much respite in sight from this driving rain, especially for the South-west. But we're still being urged to use our water wisely, as groundwater levels are well below normal in some places, and may not improve before winter. Emma Simpson, BBC News.