Drought declared across north-west England

An official drought has been declared across the north-west of England due to a drop in water supply, the Environment Agency has said.

The region went into drought status on 21 May after weeks of unusually dry weather leading to low water levels in reservoirs and rivers.

It comes after rainfall between February and April was the third lowest on record in the north-west since 1871, while nationwide it is believed this spring is one of the driest on record.

"Despite the rain over the weekend, levels remain low and we are encouraging people to be aware of the impacts of drought as we enter the summer period," an Environment Agency spokeswoman said.

"With further unsettled periods and rainfall over the coming weeks we will continue to closely monitor the situation," the spokesman added.

The move to drought status for the region was only revealed on Wednesday, and comes following a period classified as "dry weather status", which began on 30 April.

The agency has warned that drought could put a strain on water resources, lead to dead fish and algal blooms, as well as causing problems in rivers for wildlife trying to move upstream due to reduced flow.

It has a drought plan in place to manage the dry weather, and to regulate United Utilities to "make the best use of available water whilst also protecting the environment".

A spokesman for the water firm, which supplies water to millions of people across the region, said demand had reduced due to the water-saving efforts of customers, combined with recent rainfall and cooler temperatures.

But reservoir levels remained "lower than we'd expect at this time of year and so we're continuing to move water around our integrated network to get it to where it is needed," he added.

Extra water is also being brought into the system for other sources around the region.

The spokesman said: "Leakage is at its lowest level and we're repairing record volumes, with customers supporting us by reporting more leaks.

"And we'd ask that they continue to do that as well as doing all they can to save and recycle water, to help protect their local environment."

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