Running dry... 6bn litres a day water shortfall

ENGLAND'S water supply could be short by five billion litres a day by 2055 without urgent action, the Environment Agency has warned.

- Steph Spyro

There could be a further shortfall of one billion litres a day to generate energy, grow food and power emerging technologies such as data centres.

Climate change, population growth and environmental pressures are impacting supplies with the predicted shortage equivalent to a third of the country’s current daily use.

Alan Lovell, chair of the EA, said: “The nation’s water resources are under huge and steadily increasing pressure. This deficit threatens not only the water from your tap but also economic growth and food production. Taking water unsustainably from the environment will have a disastrous impact on rivers and wildlife.