Shrinking rivers

Photo: Hobson's Conduit

This year has been unusual yet again. While Scotland may have been deluged many parts of England have had some of the driest weather in 100 years. In Cambridge they have had the driest spring in 98 years. A 400 year old historic watercourse – Hobson’s Conduit – is drying up. Is this just normal variation in weather patterns or are rising population, increasing demand for water and concreting over of countryside equally important causes?

About a quarter of rivers are classified by the Environment Agency as being in danger or “over-abstracted”. The Kennet in Wiltshire is among the worst affected yet over 9.6 bn gallons a year of water are being abstracted. It is perhaps not surprising that the forthcoming water bill is likely to propose increasing the cost of abstraction licences and perhaps make them tradable.

The new planning framework so hotly debated at the moment talks about the need for all new development to be sustainable. Does this mean that it will not be possible for there to be any development in Wiltshire given the perilous state of the Kennet which is clearly not sustainable? Unfortunately the new planning framework does not define sustainable leaving the way open for a lawyer’s paradise.

What is clear is that a holistic approach that really values water and the environment is essential. It is no good just reducing extraction – instead its vital to look at the demand side as well, is 20% leakage really the economic level? Will Metering help? Should building regulations be tightened further to reduce water demand from new properties, should development be restricted in water scarce areas? 

These are not easy questions but the trend is clear low river water flows are an increasing problem and the current position is not sustainable.