Seventeen more counties were today given drought status, meaning the Midlands and South-west have been added to the already-drought-stricken South-east and East Anglia.

The drought now extends from Cornwall to Kent, East Anglia to Shropshire and Herefordshire, and as far north as Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and North Yorkshire.

Warning of the prospect of the current drought stretching into 2013, Trevor Bishop, head of water resources at the Environment Agency, said: “A longer term drought, lasting until Christmas and perhaps beyond, now looks more likely.

“While we’ve had some welcome rain recently, the problem has not gone away, and we would urge everyone – right across the country – to use water wisely now, which will help to prevent more serious impacts next year.”

Hosepipe Bans
Hosepipe bans affecting about 20 million customers, have been introduced by seven water authorities in parts of southern and eastern England.

Shropshire’s water supplier Severn Trent said careful management of water supplies and efforts by customers to use water wisely has helped it stave off a hosepipe ban this summer.

Severn Trent water efficiency manager, Doug Clarke said: “Customers in our region recognise that water is a precious resource and are very water conscious, with the one of the lowest levels of consumption per head in the UK. Our year-round message remains the same – use water wisely as part of your everyday life. If we are all careful with the amount of water we use then we won’t have to take as much from the environment.”

Severn Trent aims to sell 30 million litres of water a day to Anglian Water, one of the seven companies that have imposed a hosepipe ban, to help ease the shortage.

Risk of flooding
Despite a drought The Environment Agency has warned that conditions can increase the risk of flash flooding.

Dry, compacted soils mean that water is less easily absorbed into the ground, and so any future storms could lead to a greater risk of flash flooding.

Craig Woolhouse, Environment Agency Head of Flood Incident Management, said: “As the drought in England continues, the thought of flooding may be far from people’s minds, but we cannot ignore the risk. Dry and compacted ground means that there is a greater risk of flash flooding if there is heavy rainfall, and stormy seas and high tides can produce floods at any time.

Use Water Wisely
Caroline Spelman, the Environment Secretary, is urging households to cut back on the amount of water they use.

“As more areas of the UK move into drought it is vital that we use less water to protect the public’s water supply in the driest areas of the country,” she said. “It is for everyone to share the responsibility to save water. We are asking everyone to help by using less water and starting now.”