Underground Water

Underground water reserves in eastern England are critically low and for some people water restrictions may only be days away. Areas affected include East Sussex, Kent and Essex. East Anglia is among the worst hit areas, with the situation in Lincolnshire "particularly acute".

Yorkshire Water is still trying to recover from a drought last year and water is being pumped from the west of the county to the east to cope with an acute shortage.

The concern over areas which depend heavily on underground water reserves is also reported in the New Civil Engineer. It suggests that ground water levels have sunk to a record low and river flows have fallen as Britain recorded its third lowest rainfall for March and April this century. The journal also claims that some areas could be facing the worst drought in memory.

The problems stem from the dry winter of 1988-1989 which preceded a long summer of drought followed by barely average rainfall in the East of England last winter.

A spokesman for the Water Authorities Association said areas dependent on surface water had made up for two years of dry weather while areas dependent on underground water reserves had never totally recovered.

"I know that some of the water companies in these areas are already giving warnings to customers to use water sensibly as they are already in some difficulty."