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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Sandra Laville

England must harvest rainfall and take action on water usage, Lords warn

Overhead view of dry banks around a narrow strip of water and a small bridge, with a larger and higher road bridge behind it and a widening expanse of blue water.
Low water levels at Baitings reservoir in Ripponden, West Yorkshire, revealed last summer an ancient bridge that had been submerged when the reservoir was created. Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPA

Rainwater harvesting, the use of grey water in homes and an urgent campaign to reduce water usage across society are vital to prevent water shortages of 5bn litres a day by 2055, the government has been told.

Without intervention, England will face severe water shortages in the coming decades, as climate change-induced weather patterns, population growth and the expansion of industries such as water-intensive datacentres put excessive demand on supplies and endanger life, according to a House of Lords report published on Thursday.

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