March 3, 2006
Sutton Guardian
There's an old Yorkshire saying about the weather which for years has rung true. But with water shortages on the increase, are the old tales in need of rewriting? HELEN CRANE reports.
Photo: Bewl reservoir, managed by Southern Water, which is at its lowest level since it was built 31 years ago.
February fill-dyke, Fill it wi' eyther black or white; March muck it oot, Wi' a besom an' a cloot.
It rained last week but not nearly enough for this month to live up to its February fill-dyke name.
February is traditionally the coldest and wettest month but rainfall black in the old country saying or snow (the white) has been so slight that we are heading for a 1-in-100 year drought.
There has been a lack of rainfall for the second successive winter which has been combined with a drier than normal summer in 2005 and a record-breaking heat wave the summer before.
The outcome has seen underground water, which provides 85 per cent of Sutton and East Surrey Water's supplies, at its lowest level for almost 100 years.
Some experts estimate that for the amount of water per head of the population, the south east of England is drier than Saudi Arabia, while others claim Tonbridge in Kent has had less rainfall than Jerusalem and parts of Namibia and Somalia.
The most dramatic illustration of water shortage in the south east is Bewl Water, the largest reservoir in the south of England, which is shrinking fast.
Southern Water, which manages the Kent reservoir, is taking emergency action as Bewl Water is only 35 per cent full, the lowest it has ever been.
Some of Sutton and East Surrey's water comes from Bough Beech, also in Kent, which is fed by the River Eden.
The reservoir is 70 per cent full, 13 per cent below average for this time of year, and badly needs weeks of torrential rain to recover.
Water resources depend on winter rain to recharge the aquifer the rock below the topsoil.
Rain runs into streams and rivers, soaking into the ground, and eventually seeping into the topsoil and into the rock below, which acts like a giant sponge.
The water is then taken from boreholes sunk into the rock at depths of between 90 and 180m.
Normally the winter rains keep these topped up ready for the summer demand, but 2005/06 has been very dry.
"We are not running out of water but the resource situation is becoming serious and must be safeguarded," said Richard Rap, supply manager at Sutton and East Surrey Water.
Mike Hegarty, operations director, added: "The bottom line is that we have had almost 30 per cent less rain in the past 18 months than we normally would receive.
"Before any water can reach the chalk aquifer the ground has to become saturated.
"Upper soil levels dried out by summer sunshine absorbed much of last year's rainfall, so although people may remember some rainy periods and wet winter days, the current situation lying unseen underground is a lack of available water resources."
Rainfall this winter is only 70 per cent of the average for this time of year and the water company's own figures show we are in the third driest period since it started keeping records in 1910.
If the dry weather keeps up, it will be the driest period in 100 years.
Ashtead Common's owner, the Corporation of London has spent a small fortune on creating a complex series of meanders special basins to hold flood water and a water flow dam on the common to stop the Rye Brook flooding parts of Lower Ashtead and Leatherhead when winter rain pours downhill from higher lying areas.
But this winter some of the basins created to hold the water are empty, or at best have a muddy puddle, and the meanders which were expected to cope with a torrent of water are holding a meagre trickle.
It means the current sprinkler and unattended hosepipe ban will continue, and it is almost inevitable that Sutton and East Surrey will join other water companies by imposing a full hosepipe ban.
"With resources at such low levels and drought conditions prevailing throughout the south east, we continue to appeal to customers to ensure they use water with care but further restrictions this summer appear inevitable," said Mr Hegarty.
For some reason people in the Sutton and East Surrey Water area use one third more water each day than the national average residents have one of the highest consumption rates in the country which is why the company wants to make the 650,000 people living in its supply area more water-conscious.
It also hopes to make commercial users aware of just how much water they use.
The company supplies on average 35million gallons of water a day, rising to 57million gallons on a hot day.
Each household is being asked to look at its own water consumption on average each person uses 170 litres every day, which is about 450 litres, or 100 gallons, per household.
Every time a toilet is flushed it uses about 35 litres of water, baths and showers use 65 litres, about 25 litres are used for cooking, 20 litres for the washing machine and 10 litres for a dishwasher.
In addition each person uses an astounding average of 15 litres a day watering the garden which, as it is not a year round activity, is pretty high.
A company that has earned itself environmental brownie points for its use of water is bus company Quality Line, and Epsom Coaches, which are based in Blenheim Road, Epsom.
Three years ago when it needed to replace its vehicle washing equipment it spent an extra £11,000 on devices that recycle water.
Now instead of using 500 litres of water for each of the 70 vehicles washed each night, it uses just 25 litres for each bus.
It is not just the amount of water that is saved the company has trimmed a whopping £4,000 a year from its water bills.
The water company itself is doing its best to conserve water by detecting and mending leaks as promptly as it can.
It recently invited Carshalton and Wallington MP Tom Brake to its Cheam treatment works to learn about its techniques.
"There is no room for complacency," he said. "With global warming a real threat, our water supplies have got to be very carefully managed."
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