Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel could see its 28 residents evacuated after water supplies dropped to their lowest ever level, with reservoir levels falling to just 13 per cent. Emergency water has been shipped from the mainland, and staff have resorted to pumping water from wildlife ponds as a last resort.
Drastic measures introduced
Derek Green from the Landmark Trust, which manages the island, said: "We're thinking about having to evacuate – something that hasn't happened in the history of Lundy before. I never ever thought we'd have to take water from our ponds here. We are in real jeopardy here at the moment - unless it rains very, very soon."
The 3.1-mile-long island, home to wildlife including puffins and seals, relies on rainwater and boreholes drilled into granite for its supplies. There has been no significant rainfall since April, with the island seeing barely 20 per cent of the typical 4.92ft of rain expected by this time of year.
Water restrictions and emergency shipments
Water restrictions are in place for residents and visitors, including the removal of plugs to prevent baths. Emergency shipments of water from the mainland began in August, with the first delivery of about 67,000 litres costing approximately £7,000. Since then, 4,000 litres of water have been shipped three times a week, with islanders using between 9,000 and 11,000 litres daily.
Green said: "It's really our last chance saloon here. If we didn't do this, we would be facing the reality of closing Lundy. It would be devastating for us. Hopefully the reserve in the pond will last until it rains but because it hasn't rained in so long, this is desperate measures."
Logistical challenges and climate adaptation
Getting water from the port to residents has been difficult due to the island's granite track and limited vehicles, including three 4x4s, tractors, quadbikes and a fire engine. A landslip in June closed part of the track to the village about 400ft above sea level, requiring water to be pumped via fire hose past the vulnerable section.
Island manager Matt Scantlebury said The Tavern pub had closed its toilets and removed bath plugs to conserve supplies. "We can't have baths, all the plugs have been removed to resist temptation," he explained. "People are showering with buckets to catch the water and then using that to flush the toilets and that's saving water."
Scantlebury added that the changing climate was more "pronounced on Lundy" and islanders needed to adapt. "Forecasters are predicting it will be even warmer next year," he said. "We've got to learn from this and be better prepared next year in terms of increasing the reservoir here. People need to learn to use a little less water over the winter. It's a sharp learning curve for us and the wider region."
