News
5 Potential Drought Management Solutions
As is becoming increasingly apparent, the UK is facing a growing water shortage, with climate change fuelling warmer, drier springs and summers.
Water stress and scarcity around the country is being further exacerbated by population growth, water mismanagement, unsustainable abstraction rates and urbanisation.
It’s predicted that global demand for water will outstrip supply by 40 percent come the year 2030, but the effects of the pressure being put on resources will start to be felt much before then – and, in fact, we’re already starting to see what the future reality could be like.
As the Guardian reports, water companies and the government are now drawing up emergency plans for drought conditions in 2026 that are expected to be more extreme than any seen in decades, with water bosses now extremely concerned about the prospect of lower-than-average rainfall being seen this winter.
The first seven months of this year were the driest since 1976, which saw reservoir levels falling to critically low levels… but the situation was supported at least in part, despite hosepipe bans being introduced across much of the country, because 2024 saw significant rain during the autumn and winter months.
However, much of this stored water has now been used up and not replaced, despite seeing roughly average rainfall levels in September and October. As the news source notes average reservoir storage is now at 63.3 per cent compared to the seasonal average of 76 percent. In some places, reservoir levels are below 30 per cent.
As for groundwater, reserves have still not been replenished because it takes these aquifers significantly longer to recharge than reservoirs.
For businesses, the impact of this could be quite serious, with some suppliers considering local water restriction orders, which would see certain businesses prohibited from using supplies for applications like filling hotel pools or cleaning buildings and equipment.
Part of the problem is that the UK is particularly reliant on consistent rainfall to ensure sufficient public water supplies. When this fails, river abstraction takes place and hosepipe bans are introduced.
In terms of solutions, reservoir construction is being prioritised by water suppliers – but as Alastair Chisolm, director of policy and external affairs at the Chartered Institution of Water and Environment Management, explained to the Guardian that not enough attention is being paid to water efficiency policies by the government.
He said: “Reservoirs will take decades to build whilst water users can be supported to reduce their consumption quickly. This is nonsensical. It’s not an either-or question on these. We’re a densely populated nation facing increasingly extreme and variable weather, with growing water demand to support new homes, datacentres, food production and more.
“Without new reservoirs and leakage reductions alongside ambitious water efficiency and domestic or development-level rainwater harvesting and reuse, droughts are likely to become a growing problem for the UK.”
So, with this in mind, what drought management solutions could be implemented (aside from reservoir construction) by government and businesses alike, to shore up supplies and safeguard water for future generations?
Let’s take a look…
Water leak detection & repair
Research shows that three billion litres of water was wasted every day in England and Wales between 2020 and 2023 because of leaky pipes, with water companies failing to maintain infrastructure appropriately.
Thames water was revealed as being the biggest culprit, with its three-year leakage average peaking at 592 million litres per day.
What are water companies doing to fix water leaks?
According to Ofwat, leakage rates have been cut in England by 41 per cent since 1989, but approximately one-fifth of all water running across the network is still lost to leakage today.
Between 2020 and 2024, nearly £50 million was returned to customers via lower water bills because suppliers failed to achieve leakage targets set by the regulator.
Between 2025 and 2030, Ofwat expects to see leaks reduced by an additional 17 per cent, with more than £700 million approved in cost allowances for companies to tackle leakage through replacing water mains, pressure management and repairs.
Smart meters are also being rolled out thanks to an additional £1.7 billion cost allowance, which will help suppliers gain a better understanding of how much water is used every day at every property, as well as identifying continuous flow to indicate where leaks are.
What can businesses do to stop water leaks?
It can be difficult to spot water leaks at your place of business because they’re often hidden away below ground where you can’t see them or because they’re so small that they’re barely noticeable.
Keep an eye out for signs of water damage and damp, as these are indications that you have a problem. But you can also consider installing a water meter that will help you track your usage and identify spikes in consumption that could suggest you have a leak somewhere.
Water bill monitoring is another strategy, so you can see where and how you use water, so jumps in usage are easier to spot.
Demand management
Water companies are required to publish drought plans detailing how they intend to reduce water demand during dry periods, prioritising actions that save water before more is drawn from the environment.
As such, applying for a drought permit (or order) to abstract more water, they need to take actions to help people reduce demand, manage both leakages and outages, carry out water efficiency campaigns and restrict mains pressure, as well as restricting water use (such as through temporary use bans).
Wetland restoration/creation
Wetland construction and restoration is one very effective nature-based solution for drought management, serving as a natural sponge to store excess runoff water during periods of heavy rainfall and allowing it to infiltrate the soil more solely so that local aquifers can be recharged and groundwater levels maintained.
Soil moisture can also be supported and improved by the slowing of water flow, with water released more gradually over time. Wetlands are also effective at filtering out pollutants to improve water quality.
Can businesses create wetlands?
In short, yes! Businesses can build wetlands onsite to serve as a way to treat wastewater and surface runoff, managing localised flood risks, making communities more resilient to drought and helping to support biodiversity.
Those operating in sectors like hospitality and agriculture could benefit in particular, treating waste and effluent arising from their operations and removing pollutants like nitrates, phosphorus and organic matter naturally through microbial degradation and filtration.
Rainwater harvesting
Another effective strategy to reduce reliance on mains water supplies is rainwater harvesting, where rainwater that falls on the roofs of buildings is collected and stored. This can then be filtered and reused in place of mains supplies. Typical applications include laundry and process water, vehicle washing and toilet flushing.
As well as reducing environmental impacts and lessening the effects of drought, business benefits to rainwater harvesting include reducing your water bills, reducing overall water consumption and gaining additional BREEAM points.
Greywater recycling
Similar to rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling reduces reliance on mains water by reusing supplies from light activities like showers, sinks and washing machines.
This water can be treated through filtration and disinfection to remove impurities so it can be used for non-potable purposes like outdoor cleaning, toilet flushing, cooling systems and irrigation.
Get in touch!
If, as a business, you’re keen to operate more sustainably and are concerned about how the impacts of drought will affect your operations, as well as your local communities, get in touch with the H2o Building Services team today to see how we can help.