Members of the Blueprint for Water coalition have written to the Guardian newspaper describing the Consumer Council for Water's recent comment that revoking environmentally damaging abstraction licences could see domestic supplies dry up as “both alarmist and inaccurate”.

In a letter published in today’s Guardian, the coalition says that “for the Consumer Council for Water to try and link attempts to rectify this situation with drought orders, hosepipe bans and price rises is unhelpful and undermines their own duty to promote sustainability”.

The letter points out that ensuring that the water industry does not damage the environment is a fundamental test of its sustainability.  According  to the coalition, water company resource plans suggest it can certainly do this without any threat to the public water supply. However, the coalition estimates that, in England alone, some 500 rivers, lakes and wetlands are at risk from excessive water withdrawals.

Coalition members who have signed the letter include the Anglers' Conservation Association , the Association of Rivers Trusts, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the  Wildlife Trusts.