Warning that England faces water shortages by 2055

ENGLAND faces public water shortages of five billion litres a day by 2055 without urgent action to cut leaks, curb use and build new reservoirs, officials have warned.

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Without efforts to curb the water deficit, there is a likelihood of environmental damage, restricted economic growth, interruptions to supplies and a lack of resilience in areas such as energy and food production, the Environment Agency said.

Climate change, a growing population and environmental pressures could lead to the shortfall of nearly five billion litres a day in public water supplies - the equivalent to a third of the country's current daily use, or enough to fill Wembley Stadium four-and-a-half times over each day.

The Environment Agency also warned that the wider economy faces a further deficit of one billion litres a day, with growing demand from the energy sector, food production and businesses such as water-intensive data centres.