UK Facing Worst Drought In A Century - Kent Now Drier Than Jerusalem

[hatrack]

March 30 (Bloomberg) -- Kent, known as the Garden of England, is drier than Jerusalem. Or Istanbul. Or Dallas. Rainfall in southern England this year is the third-lowest on record, robbing Kent of its lush countryside. Streams have vanished and reservoir levels are plunging.

``You are looking at the prospect of the worst drought for 100 years in the south and southeast,'' U.K. Environment Minister Elliot Morley said in a telephone interview. ``That depends on what the outcome of rain between now and the summer is.''

Forecasters say precipitation will remain below average, prompting seven utilities to restrict water use for more than 15 million people. Residents are forbidden to use sprinklers or garden hoses in London, Kent and surrounding districts, and violators may be fined as much as 1,000 pounds. Water companies are asking for government permission to ban non-essential water use by local authorities and companies.

There's also an effort to update some infrastructure. Thames Water, which supplies 8 million people in the London area, is spending 1 billion pounds ($1.7 billion) to replace 20,000 miles of leaky pipes. The Victorian-era pipes lose a third of the water sent from reservoirs to homes, according to the Birmingham-based Office of Water Services.

EDIT

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=akBtaTYXOs3k&refer=europe

[phantom power]

1. 1/3 of the water lost. That's really something.

[danalytical]

2. Not in England

England is a pretty wet place, and in the past they never cared how much water was lost to the Earth because there so much of it that it never mattered. Amazing what changes when global warming bites isn't it?

[megatherium]

3. Is this a predicted effect of global warming?

It seems to me they had bad floods in England a few years ago.

[danalytical]

4. I'm not sure

From what I hear England is supposed to get much colder along with the rest of western Europe. Once the ocean currents change that whole area will lose it's warmth.

[NNadir]

5. I think the matter is simply climatic instability.

I don't think anyone knows what the details will be. Wild, unpredictable swings mostly. Billions dead.

[Nihil]

7. The water companies didn't care as long as their profits were high

Spending money on infrastructure reduces their profits and so they
simply didn't bother (apart from a bare minimum to "justify" their
increasing charges).

Similarly, they (the water companies) have sold off some of their
reservoir sites over the last decade or so ... only to find that
there isn't enough storage to supply the existing demand (never mind
any allowance for the future increases - especially in the South and
South-East of England). This future demand is a double shot too ...
not only is the government overloading the infrastructure by forcing
thousands of homes to be built in unsuitable places, they are also
adding to the aquifer replenishment issue by increasing immediate
runoff (from tarmac, concrete, etc., instead of being absorbed by
the soil), meaning that heavy storms can cause flood problems by
surging even though the areas involved are under water restriction
conditions!

People are starting to do more in the way of rain-water collection
these days as, having hose-pipe bans enforced and water supplies
metered, we don't want to waste a valuable but practically free
resource.

I wish there was a way to claw back the money stolen by fat cat
carpetbaggers instead of it always having to be the end user's job
to dig deep ...

[Odin2005]

6. Southern England getting a mediterranean climate?