Driest month in 30 years say experts, how water smart communities are a solution for dry horizons
Figures from the Met Office revealed that England had its driest February in 30 years. With an extremely low average rainfall, less than half of usual amounts, which can have big impacts on communities and the quality of water.
Dangers of prolonged droughts are huge and include obvious water shortages, as reservoir levels reduce, and water quality decreases. As water levels lower the concentration of pollutants increases, which leads to poorer quality water all-round. Good water conservation is needed to mitigate the risks to people economically, such as crop failure – and as a community.
Dry conditions are likely to continue says the Met Office, their three month outlook suggests that sustained dry weather will carry on into spring. Challenges may emerge as farmers struggle to plant and harvest crops, communities have less access to water as will wildlife, and nature will also suffer. During summer of 2022, England already experienced widespread lack of rain, which caused the National Drought Group to declare an official drought. This caused hosepipe bans across parts of the country and the possibility of more severe water rationing to take place. Such as banning the use of sprinklers and the cleaning of windows and vehicles etc.
How can we protect communities from future droughts and dry spells? This is where water smart communities come in.
Enabling Water Smart Communities can optimise the wide use of water resources, taking into account environmental, economic and social aspects. Integrated water management can play an important role in helping lessen the impact of droughts by improving water efficiency, reducing water loss and increasing the resilience of water systems in communities.
Engaging people within their communities and managing water demand is crucial. EWSC can promote water efficient practices by implementing water recycling systems, such as rainwater harvesting for flushing toilets and irrigation; and by reducing water use water resources can be conserved. Increasing the stability of water systems can increase their reliability and better supply management will conserve water during times of need.
Sustainable land use practice and catchment management is a critical principle of IWM which can mitigate drought risk. Reducing soil erosion and increasing vegetation will maintain moisture and retention, reducing water runoff during dry periods. Water re-use methods, such as the capturing and recycling of stormwaters, can also augment water supply during droughts, which can massively reduce stress during dry spells on communities.
To achieve any success solving drought risk, integrated planning across sectors will be necessary to address competing demands for water and promote sustainable water use. EWSC is unlocking opportunities through collaborating across the industry, from developers to academics, to water companies – genuine, early collaboration of ideas in the design phase of developments will be the key to mitigating future risk of droughts and water delivery. The UK’s climate is already uneasy; and droughts across England and Wales highlight the need for water conservation and integrated techniques which work for communities.
The future pressures on water services due to drought are already upon us.
