In England, water companies have plans that set out the actions they take before, during and after episodes of drought to ensure security of supply of water. The drought plans also describe how they will assess the effects on the environment and what they can do to mitigate any damage. The plans are revised regularly, every five years, following public consultation. Water companies are undertaking such a review at the moment. Current and draft plans are available on water company websites.
Water companies use knowledge of past droughts and potential future drought intensity combined with information about current conditions to guide them through a staged response to episodes of drought. Every few years drought severity is such that water companies expect to warn customers through radio, newspapers and social media that water resources are relatively low in their region and to use water sparingly. Less frequently, in anticipation of a more significant drought, water companies may introduce temporary use bans, popularly known as ‘hosepipe bans’. If a severe drought is anticipated, water companies can ask the Secretary of State for a Drought Order to ban nonessential use where more extensive restrictions apply. They may also apply to the Environment Agency for permits to take additional water from sources in their region. Under the most extreme conditions water companies may apply to the Secretary of State for additional powers, for example to apply rota cuts. However, water companies may never plan to reach this level since it would involve droughts worse than any on record.
The Environment Agency also has a drought plan, available on the gov.uk website, that, amongst other things, sets out how the Environment Agency monitors and measures the impacts of drought, and how it reports on the drought and communicates with others. All water companies, as well as the Environment Agency, see good communications with water users as vital to the successful management of water resources during a drought.
Links:
Environment Agency drought management for England
Map and list of water supply companies in England and Wales, including links to websites