In the UK we are no strangers to a little bit of rain. Of course at the start of this year, coastal regions and low lying areas were seriously affected by storms and flooding. This obviously causes severe damage and danger to people, but it also keeps the UK’s water system topped up with water for the coming summer months. Like with most things a balance is obviously required.
The main challenges facing water management in the UK, as presented by Water UK are:
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Extreme weather and the threat of climate change.
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Managing water in the face of the flooding at the start of the year.
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Population growth and demographic change.
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Keeping water affordable for everyone.
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Reducing the carbon footprint inherent of the infrastructure of the water supply chain.
In the UK, as indeed all over the world, we are getting used to increasingly extreme weather that proceeds to break all records since records began. At the start of this year, the UK experienced some of the worst flooding of history which caused over £4bn pounds in with over 5,800 homes flooded. Positively apocalyptic imagery from the Cornish coastline literally saw the sea consuming Cornwall with waves, whilst a visit from Prince Charles donning wellington boots to meet with the afflicted people of Kent was a well meaning attempt to boost moral.
With the announcement of the 2014 budget came the promise of £340m pledged for plugging potholes and further flood defences. With the extremes in weather only becoming more severe will this really be enough to counter future flooding? Most experts, such as the Committee on Climate Change have estimated that a minimum of £500m will be needed.
The good news as a results of the flooding is that the UK’s water supplies are well and truly stocked up. As a general rule, dry winters in the UK can lead to droughts in the summer leading to hosepipe and sprinkler bans. Water supplies require large amounts of rain during the winter months because in the summer rain can tend to evaporate before it properly permeates into the ground and comes into contact with the earth. The soil and ground need to be completely banked to ensure healthy water supplies, with rock acting as aquifers or underground reservoirs that function as long term natural water storage vessels. If we have two dry winters then we can expect more serious problems as in 1976 in which reservoirs literally ran dry.
Further afield it has been suggested that the whole of the UK’s water systems need to be re-evaluated with new strategies to combat both the threat of flooding but also keeping the UK’s water supplies healthy. Chief among these strategies is increasing water catchment in upland areas be reforestation to reduce the pressure downstream where flooding is likely to occur. Further development on green field areas also needs to be reduced as well as the placement of hard surfaces in urban and rural areas to ensure that water permeates through to adequate groundwater levels.
Experts are optimistic that the UK’s water supplies have been topped off sufficiently, that drought seems unlikely for 2014. However with the weather extremes becoming more adverse in both the summer and winter, expectations can go completely the other way.
Harvey Bowden is managing director of Harvey Water Softeners, a family run business based in Surrey, England specialising in water softening technology. For more information on water softening check out our consumer’s guide to softened water.