Southern Water has applied for a drought order that would allow it to draw water from the River Test, a rare chalk stream in Hampshire, even if its levels fall below ecologically safe thresholds. The application has prompted calls for the environment secretary, Steve Reed, to intervene to prevent potential permanent damage to the river's ecosystem.
The River Test is one of only about 200 chalk streams worldwide, 85% of which are in England. It provides habitat for endangered salmon and otters. Under the proposed order, Southern Water could lower the minimum river flow level at which it must stop abstracting water from 355 megalitres per day to 265 megalitres per day. Experts warn that low flows can take years to recover and may cause fish spawning failures and oxygen depletion.
Yorkshire Water has also applied for a drought order on the River Ouse in York and for 14 drought permits on other waterways. Both companies, along with Thames Water and South East Water, have hosepipe bans in place. The water sector has faced criticism for failing to build reservoirs and repair leaking pipes, while executives have received large pay packages.
Feargal Sharkey, a water campaigner and former musician, urged Reed to block the order, stating that reducing flow limits would push wild salmon closer to extinction. Stuart Singleton-White of the Angling Trust said the drought was predictable and that water companies had failed to prepare by building storage and fixing leaks.
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson said the secretary of state would decide on the orders in due course. A Southern Water spokesperson said the company follows a strict legal process and that the order would only be used if river flows fall below 355 megalitres per day, adding that current levels are not close to that trigger thanks to water-saving efforts by households and businesses.
