Environment & Climate

England faces projected daily water shortfall of five billion litres by 2055

Projections of rising temperatures, lower summer rainfall, and growing demand have driven a debate over infrastructure, pricing, and regulation.

Updated Aug 29, 2026 · 01:18 UTC1 reports

The short version

England could face a public water supply shortfall of five billion litres per day by 2055 due to climate pressures and rising demand.
A mix of regulatory limits and dry weather led the Environment Agency to temporarily limit or suspend 1,327 agricultural water abstraction licenses, impacting crops.
Proposed solutions to avert the shortfall include building new reservoirs, mandating water meters, raising prices to match higher European benchmarks, and banning industrial users from using drinking-grade water.

The Environment Agency temporarily limited or suspended 1,327 agricultural abstraction licenses in July, leaving some English farmers unable to irrigate crops due to low river levels.[BBC News]
Daily water consumption in England stands at 136.5 litres per person, compared to 97 litres per person in Denmark.[BBC News]
Households account for nearly 60% of water use in England and Wales, while businesses use nearly a third.[BBC News]
More than 45 litres of water per person per day—representing nearly a fifth of the total water in the system—is lost through leaks in England's water network.[BBC News]
Five of the nine major water companies are phasing out discounted rates that were previously offered to heavy-use commercial businesses.[BBC News]
Ten new reservoirs are planned for construction in England by 2050, but experts estimate that even once completed, they will address only 7% of the projected 2055 shortfall.[BBC News]

Whether newly planned reservoirs can meet environmental water quality laws is uncertain; the Environment Agency warned the 2025 Cunliffe Review that the treatment costs required to achieve mandated 'good' status could make the projects financially infeasible.[BBC News]