Essex is a seriously water-stressed area. On average, we consume larger volumes of water per person than most of England. Only three fifths of the drinking water consumed here comes from the county itself. The rest has to be imported from elsewhere.
Hanningfield Reservoir with low water levels during the summer.
Apart from domestic use, water is needed by business sectors, such as:
• agriculture and horticulture
• food processing
• power
• leisure
An irrigation system in a field in Essex irrigating potatoes.
The situation can be expected to get worse due to:
• climate change
• population growth
• the need to restore, protect and enhance the natural environment
Aerial view of the Essex coastline
By 2050 the East of England could see a public water supply shortage of around 730 million litres of water per day (Ml/d). This is equal to over a third of the predicted future need.
On top of this, Essex water quality is below the national average. This is because of:
• storm overflows discharging sewage into the water supply
• pollution from fertilisers and poor livestock management
• runoff from construction and traffic
View of the A12 showing cars travelling in both directions
Essex County Council (ECC), in partnership with Water Resources East (WRE), has developed the Water Strategy for Essex which highlights some of the great work already being done across Essex to improve:
• water resources
• water quality
The strategy aims to provide an important starting point for more conversations around the risks and opportunities in Essex including 30 recommendations for how to improve the water situation in Essex.
The cover photo for the Water Strategy for Essex. The image shows the River Colne with plants and trees
Watch the video below to learn more about the Water Strategy for Essex.
To aid these conversations, ECC, in partnership with the Young Essex Assembly, has developed the Essex Water Your Future online explorer.
The explorer provides a high-level overview of the issues raised in the strategy. It is a more interactive way to see what is going on with water where you live. This works by showing how complicated the integrated water system can be and then breaking this down to explain each element of the cycle. There are also direct links to Essex case studies and further resources.
Watch the video below to learn more about Essex Water: Your Future.