Water is a precious resource. It’s important that we make sure that as little as possible is wasted. That doesn’t mean going without – it just means using our water wisely.

Background

Water is not just necessary for our survival, it is also essential for many of our day-to-day activities - in domestic, agricultural and industrial situations. As consumption levels continue to rise, there is increasing pressure upon river, groundwater, and wetland ecosystems.

The UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) anticipates that global warming will lead to significant changes in rainfall distribution and intensity, with UK properties likely to suffer in the future from water shortages or flood damage. The design, capacity and maintenance of urban drainage systems may require upgrading in order to accommodate greater storm activity.

Recognising these growing pressures the Environment Agency has produced a regional water resources strategy to guide the management of this vital resource over the next 25 years.

In Nottinghamshire, the Sherwood Sandstone aquifer, which is the primary source of public water supply in the county, has been heavily exploited, and is vulnerable to pollution from surface activities.

It is important that standards of design materials specification and of on-site construction practices respect the vulnerability of all watercourses, aquifers and environmentally sensitive areas. The challenge ahead is to manage the demand for water, its associated infrastructure and the water environment more effectively and, in doing so, to reduce the threat of flooding, pollution and water shortage.

There are many measures that can be taken to save and re-use water. Most require little cost and have a minimum impact on lifestyles.

Forces for change

• Higher UK water consumption levels.
• Drier summers will increase risk of water shortages (by a fifth by 2020).
• Wetter winters with heavier downpours will increase flood risk and storm damage.
• Increasing incidences of water pollution can endanger wildlife and public supply.
• More widespread metering.
• Increased cost of water supply and treatment.
• Increased availability of new cost-effective systems for recycling water, curbing its use and treating waste-water.
• More stringent EU national and regional policies/legislation to reduce water use, pollution and flood risk.