The water industry must bear some of the responsibility for where we are today, according to James Heath, Chief Executive of the National Infrastructure Commission. And while investment has increased since privatisation, it has not increased enough.

South West Water has launched a public consultation on its draft Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP) setting out its long-term plans over the next 25 years to maintain secure and sustainable water supplies to customers.

Following the driest summer in nearly 30 years, experts in the National Drought Group are warning that another hot dry spell could see drought conditions return in 2023, despite winter rainfall replenishing most water levels.

Anglian Water is warning that more work is needed to boost water supplies in East Anglia for summer – the region’s groundwater sources currently remain at well below normal levels.

Europe has been experiencing a severe drought for years. Across the continent, groundwater levels have been consistently low since 2018, even if extreme weather events with flooding temporarily give a different picture.

The Met Ofice has confirmed that human induced climate change has driven 2022 as the UK’s hottest year on record, with an average temperature of over 10°C recorded for the first time.

2022 will be the warmest year on record for the UK, according to provisional figures from the UK Met Office – and the national weather forecaster is warning that 2023 will be one of the Earth’s hottest years on record.

Severn Trent is applying to the Environment Agency (EA) for a Drought Permit to increase the amount of water it can pump this winter out of its Foremark and Staunton Harold reservoirs near the River Dove.

Latest Met Office statistics suggest that the UK would need a December of near-record cold weather to avoid 2022 being the warmest year on record for the UK.

Water companies have been warned that they must start planning now to avoid potentially significant water supply and environmental impacts next summer.