Although we have high rainfall in the UK, parts of the East Midlands are among the driest in the country and we have limited natural or artificial facilities to store water in the region. We also have a high population density, which means that there is a relatively small amount of available water for each person and many demands on our water, including public water supply, industry, irrigation, navigation, recreation, and ecology.
During the summer months, there is just enough water in our rivers to supply existing licensed abstractions and environmental uses. But, with the exception of the Rivers Soar and Trent, which is linked to the Rivers Witham and Ancholme by a water transfer scheme, there are no reliable supplies for additional needs. In some areas, the licensed surface water and/or groundwater abstractions exceed the sustainable limit; this could have a serious impact on rivers and wetlands
Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies (CAMS) are being produced to provide more up to date information on the availability of water resources. Around 12 CAMS will be produced within the East Midlands region.
There is growing evidence that the world's climate is changing and that this change could have significant impacts on the demand and availability of water in the region.
At a glance
- The average annual rainfall in the East Midlands is less than 700mm per year, compared to an average of around 900mm for England and Wales
- The main rivers in the East Midlands are the Rivers Derwent, Dove, Soar, Trent, Ancholme, Witham, Welland and Nene
- Approximately 40% of the region is underlain by useable aquifers, including the Sherwood Sandstones, the Lower Magnesian Limestone and Carboniferous limestone and the Lincolnshire Chalk and Spilsby Sandstone
- Over 1150 million litres of water per day (Ml/d) are abstracted for public water supplies in the East Midlands, and 350Ml/d for industrial uses
- An average of about 90Ml/d are extracted for spray irrigation, mainly extracted in the summer months when river flows are at their lowest
- Domestic water consumption is around 135 litres per person per day
The Environment Agency issues and monitors abstraction licences to balance the needs of the environment and abstractors; but, as individuals, we all need to do our bit by using water wisely.
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