Water Stress in England and Wales: Understanding the Challenge

What is Water Stress?

Water stress occurs when the demand for water exceeds the available supply, or when poor quality restricts its use. The Environment Agency classifies areas of England as seriously water stressed, moderately water stressed, or not water stressed based on the ratio of current and future water demand to the water available.

Water Stressed Areas in England

The EA's 2021 water stressed areas classification identifies the following regions as seriously water stressed:

• South East England (including London, Thames Valley, Kent, Sussex).
• East of England (including East Anglia, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire).
• East Midlands (parts).
• Yorkshire (parts).

These areas face the greatest challenge in balancing water supply and demand, and are subject to the most stringent restrictions on new abstraction.

Causes of Water Stress

Water stress in England and Wales results from:

• High population density: The South East has the highest population density in England and the lowest rainfall.
• Low rainfall: East Anglia receives less rainfall than many parts of continental Europe.
• High agricultural demand: Irrigation demand peaks in summer when river flows are lowest.
• Climate change: Increasing temperatures and changing rainfall patterns are reducing summer flows and increasing demand.
• Historical over-licensing: In some catchments, more water has been licensed than is sustainably available.

The EA's Response

The EA is addressing water stress through:

• Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies (CAMS): Assessing water availability at the catchment level and restricting new licences in over-abstracted catchments.
• Sustainability Reductions: Reducing licensed volumes in catchments where abstraction is causing environmental harm.
• Water Trading: Enabling abstractors to trade licence entitlements, improving the efficiency of water use.
• Drought Management: Drought Orders and Drought Permits allow the EA to manage abstraction during drought conditions.

Implications for Abstractors

If you abstract in a water stressed area:

• New licence applications are more likely to be refused or granted with restrictive conditions.
• Existing licences may be subject to sustainability reductions.
• You should plan for reduced water availability in the future.
• Water efficiency and alternative sources (e.g., water recycling, rainwater harvesting) are increasingly important.