England must urgently harvest rainfall, reuse grey water, and reduce water usage across society to prevent severe shortages of 5 billion litres per day by 2055, according to a House of Lords report published on Thursday.
Lords Warn of Imminent Water Crisis
The Environment and Climate Change Committee warned that without intervention, England will face daily water shortfalls equivalent to 2,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Climate change, population growth, and water-intensive industries such as datacentres are placing excessive demand on supplies, endangering life.
Last year, the driest spring in 132 years led to prolonged drought across England. The government's climate advisers have warned that drought will become more frequent due to global heating, and more reservoirs must be built to avoid taps running dry.
Key Recommendations
The report calls for several measures:
- Changes to building regulations requiring new homes to limit water usage to 105 litres per person per day, with accelerated grey water reuse.
- Nature-based solutions such as restoring peat bogs and reconnecting rivers to flood plains to enhance water retention.
- An urgent public awareness campaign to reduce water usage across society.
- A full environmental and economic assessment of drought to weigh the cost of inaction against resilience value.
- Wider rollout of nature-based solutions in urban and rural settings.
Leakage and Infrastructure
No new reservoirs have been built by water companies in England for over 30 years. Nine are planned, but the report warns they will take years to come online and should not replace urgent demand reduction. Leaks from pipework account for 19% of water demand, and the report stresses that reducing leakage must remain a priority to maintain public support for drought measures.
Baroness Shas Sheehan, chair of the committee, said: 'Climate change is increasing drought risk through hotter summers and heavier winter rains, making rainwater capture and storage increasingly important. The 2025 drought sent a warning signal. We have already had a dry start to this spring, so action is critical now.'
The peers concluded: 'Drought is an ever-present threat that may feel dormant in winter but looms large in summer. Water is the foundation of life; the government must act now to secure England's most vital resource for the future.'
