Articles
UK water crisis “Down to Conservative government failures”
You would perhaps be forgiven for thinking that the UK, with its famously damp weather, would be relatively immune to the issues presented by the global water crisis, but this in fact could not be further from the case. Water is becoming increasingly problematic for countries all over the world as climate change takes hold […]
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Experts weigh in on fixing England’s water system
As citizens of 21st century England, we perhaps take access to clean water and sanitation a little for granted, but it hasn’t always been this way, with piped water only made readily available to the majority of the population in the late 18th century. And it wasn’t until a fair few years later down the […]
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Does water scarcity make people consider the future?
People have a wide variety of needs that must be fulfilled in order to survive, and most people in a crisis situation where the resources needed to fill those needs become scarce can see their behaviour and even their personality change. It is part of the reason why people care so much about crisis management, […]
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Why was raw sewage dumped into Lake Windermere?
One of the biggest topics in British water infrastructure was the revelation of significant levels of illegal raw sewage dumping taking place, including near clean water areas and heritage sites. The end of the year brought one more twist to this story. According to a report produced as part of an investigation by BBC’s Panorama, […]
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How is Southern Water reducing storm overflows?
One of the hottest topics at the moment where the UK’s waterways are concerned is, of course, storm overflows and how they’re used by water companies up and down the country. While these facilities do have a part to play during periods of heavy rainfall, helping to prevent flooding events and stopping sewage from backing […]
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Water mangement lessons from the City of Rotterdam
More than two-thirds of the biggest and most densely populated cities in the world are coastal delta cities, or find themselves perched precariously along estuaries, making them particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels. The city of Rotterdam is one such destination, with almost 80 per cent of the metropolis below sea level. As such, it’s […]
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Global funding support for sustainable climate-resilient farming
Farmers around the world will be offered further support to help them adopt sustainable climate-resilient ways of working thanks to a new scaled-up partnership between the UK and the World Bank under the Just Rural Transition Support Programme, announced at the COP28 climate conference in December. While we need agriculture to ensure food security and […]
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What is the EU Blue Deal?
As we all know, human life cannot be sustained without access to freshwater resources – and the way that society has developed over the years means that life in the 21st century is increasingly reliant on water supplies to keep economies thriving. It underpins everything we do and everything we’ve become accustomed to. Unfortunately, water […]
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South East Water’s supply resilience under investigation
Utility company South East Water supplies drinking water to 2.2 million people around the south-east of England, keeping the taps flowing across Berkshire, Hampshire, kent, Surrey and Sussex… but it seems that its business practices are being called into question, with Ofwat just launching an investigation into the efficiency of its water supply system. An […]
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How the agricultural industry can improve water usage
Everyone knows the environmental impact carbon emissions have on the environment, speeding up climate change and causing extreme weather conditions. However, fewer people are aware of the importance of using water conservatively, as resources are quickly diminishing across the world, which not only exacerbates climate change, but could also put human and animal life at […]
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UK Government announces largest ever water company project
Amidst several years of controversy and with a criminal investigation by the Environmental Agency ongoing, the UK government announced what it dubbed the largest infrastructure programme in the privatised water era and one of the largest since Victorian England. The Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan was first announced in August 2022, but 13 months later […]
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Saltwater intrusion and drinking water quality
When it comes to drinking water, there are various sources available that can be drawn from in order to ensure public supply, everything from rivers, lakes and streams to reservoirs, springs and groundwater. However, one of the most important potable water sources are high-quality coastal aquifer systems, which provide freshwater for millions, if not billions, […]
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What water management lessons can Mediterranean nations teach?
Whilst there has been a growing trend of extreme weather phenomena over the past decade, the summer of 2023 is when water security and water management became a topic that simply could no longer be ignored. One country that faces the threat of water scarcity particularly acutely is Spain, which has forced the nation to […]
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Resolving water crisis ‘As important as reaching net zero’
Resolving the water crisis is as essential to the world as reaching net zero carbon emissions and reducing the impact of climate change. This is according to the British Standards Institute (BSI) together with Waterwise, which released a report to mark World Water Week (August 20th to 24th). The study, which included analysis on the […]
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Top tech to tackle the water crisis head on
There are serious pros and cons to living in the 21st century. One of the biggest cons, of course, is the cataclysmic cloud of climate change that hangs over our heads like the sword of Damocles, a very real existential threat that will only become more and more urgent as time goes on. But, equally, […]
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Water scarcity in Scotland
Although Scotland is famous for its relatively rainy weather, with the western Highlands on of the wettest places in the whole of the UK, in fact, it seems that the country is still likely to be affected by the climate crisis, with water stress and scarcity a very real issue facing many regions even now. […]
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UK water shortages off to an early start
The summer has really only just begun and much of the UK has experienced some seriously hot weather already, with temperatures for June climbing as high as 30 degrees C in some parts of the country amid a mini-heatwave that has seen water shortages already prove problematic for many… a sign of what is to […]
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What is managed aquifer recharge?
Water supply resilience in the face of drought and climate change is a key concern for the UK, as it is indeed for the rest of the world. It can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the UK won’t face water stress and scarcity issues, thanks to its famously damp climate, […]
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Severe water stress predicted for 7 England regions by 2030
Despite the fact that the UK has a famously damp climate, it too will be affected by the water crisis, which is fast tightening its grip on countries all over the world, with water resources rapidly dwindling in the face of climate change, pollution, water mismanagement, population growth, urbanisation and more frequent extreme weather events. […]
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Discover your local water gaps using the world water map
Knowledge is power, as the old adage goes, and when it comes to living more sustainably it can be very useful indeed for both individuals and businesses alike to see what issues face their local communities so they can decide where best to focus their eco-friendly efforts first. Of course, one of the most pressing […]
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