by Megan Darby
The wettest April on record combined with drought has made for a tricky few weeks in water communication in England.
Water companies, environmental groups, regulators and government have taken pains to explain how flash flooding is consistent with a hosepipe ban.
Richard Aylard, Thames Water’s director of sustainability and external affairs, said: “It hasn’t really stopped raining since we and six other companies imposed ‘hosepipe bans’ on 5 April. We are alive to this irony.”
While heavy rain has given rivers and reservoirs a temporary boost, little has soaked through to replenish exceptionally low aquifers.
In East Anglia, the downpours brought some relief to the parched Welwyn and Nene rivers and helped to boost Pitford and Rutland reservoirs. However, John Clare of Anglian Water said that with half the company’s customers supplied from groundwater sources, the rain “is very welcome but it hasn’t fundamentally changed the underlying situation”.
· Yorkshire Water has gone quiet on calls for water companies to take responsibility for flood defences. Utility Week understands the idea met resistance from the Environment Agency and lukewarm support at best from other firms.
This article first appeared in Utility Week’s print edition of 4 May 2012.
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