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Although Britain’s Environment Agency assured Britons on Sunday that officialss are not expecting to place extra restrictions in water use, a ban on water nevertheless looms over parts of the country if the hot and dry weather prolongs.
The agency said water suppleis are sufficient at the moment to avoid any water restrictions through spring and summer, but if the dry spell continues the office may have to stop British farmers from irrigating their crops using water from rivers.
According to Britain’s weather bureau – the Met Office – there was no major chance that the United Kingdom would have rains in the next few weeks. Weather forecasters explained the long, dry season to a band of high pressure area sitting out to the east and keeping things dry, particularly in eastern England.
In 2009, the agency warned of many parts of U.K. suffering from crippling water shortages in the future as rivers, particularly those in southeast England, dry up in summer due to climate change.
To address the water crisis, the Environment Agency then proposed the placing of compulsory water meters in all British homes in the next 20 years. The agency also sought a major review of funding of the water industry to reward utility firms that reduce, instead of increase the amount of water they sell. The EA likewise proposed the building of desalination plants at several sites across Britain.
While water supplles are dwindling, the agency warned that water bills for 26 million British households are expected to go up 4.1 percent to bring the average to $513 (GBP 342) a year from the $427.50 (GBO 285) at the start of the millennium.
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