Abstraction action boosts rivers

Tighter restrictions on abstraction licences have boosted the health of more than 590 miles of river across England and Wales, according to Environment Agency figures released today.

The agency said 55 billion litres of water a year have been returned to the environment – equivalent to the domestic usage of 850,000 people.

A further 210 sites are targeted for action, as part of the agency’s Restoring Sustainable Abstraction programme. It has funding to improve 150 sites by 2015.

Water minister Richard Benyon said: “We have seen over the last year the problems that a lack of water can create; environmental damage caused when rivers run low, farmers unable to irrigate their crops and some water companies taking steps to protect water supplies.

“These figures demonstrate the Environment Agency’s success in restoring our rivers to protect them for future generations, but we will need to continue to take action to ensure our rivers keep flowing.”

In a water white paper published in December 2011, the government pledged to overhaul the abstraction regime by the mid to late 2020s. This built on an Environment Agency analysis showing that many rivers could be up to 80 per cent lower during summer in 40 year’s time.

Ian Barker, head of water, land and biodiversity at the Environment Agency, said: “Water is a precious resource and we have to use it wisely. The amount of water used by business and people is directly linked to the amount water there is in our rivers for fish and other wildlife. The Environment Agency works to balance the water needs of people, business, farmers and the environment.”