Latest news with #TimMcmahon
Telegraph
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Telegraph
Take shorter showers to avoid hosepipe ban, say water firms
Water firms have warned customers to take shorter showers if they want to avoid a hosepipe ban. England has had the driest spring on record since 1961, with April receiving just half of its expected rainfall, according to official figures. The Environment Agency has now warned that there is a 'medium risk' of a drought this summer. Tim Mcmahon, Southern Water's managing director of water, told BBC News 'drought conditions would be likely' unless there were 'significant periods of rain over the next three months'. 'We have long-term plans for new sources of water to combat the significant challenge of water scarcity in the region, but right now, we must all work together to keep our taps running,' said Mr Mcmahon. SES Water said it was 'ready for summer' and its resources were 'in a very strong position'. 'The one thing none of us can control is the weather and we know demand for water rises in warmer months, so everyone should keep using water wisely,' the company added. The Environment Agency recently warned water companies they need to be better prepared for regular droughts. Richard Thompson, the deputy director of water for the Environment Agency, said: 'The changing climate means we will see more summer droughts in the coming decades. 'The last two years were some of the wettest on record for England but drier conditions at the start of this year mean a drought is a possibility and we need to be prepared. 'It's heartening to see more people looking to reduce their water use and we expect water companies to do more to cut leakage and roll out smart meters.' The Government's National Drought Group met earlier this month to urge water companies to do more to safeguard water supplies. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said that whilst there are currently no plans for hosepipe bans if the dry weather continues, water companies may need to activate their dry weather plans. The warning comes as customers have been hit with large increases in their water bills. The average annual bill has risen by £123 this year – a 26 per cent jump, according to Water UK. Southern Water has imposed the largest rise of 47 per cent, expecting next year's average bill to be £703. Most of the UK's river levels are expected to be below normal levels in May, apart from the south-west of England and southern Wales. Experts are concerned that reservoir levels are much lower than is usual at this time of year. One of the UK's highest reservoirs, Blackstone Edge Reservoir in the Pennines, has turned into sand and grit in the wake of Britain's dry spring weather, despite sitting at 1,250ft. The low temperatures in the mountainous area normally leave the reservoir surrounded by snow for six months of the year, but the Pennines have become dry and barren during the past few weeks. Phil Taylor, a 62-year-old photographer from Bolton, Greater Manchester, discovered the scene after a recent trip to the area. He said it was 'quite concerning' that the area's reservoir levels are so low at this time of year. 'I've been photographing them for the last eight years, and this is probably the lowest I've seen them at this time of year,' Mr Taylor said. 'High up in the Pennines, almost 1,300ft above sea level, where sometimes in winter the road is blocked due to snow, it's surprising to see a reservoir where the surroundings have more or less become a beach. 'The signs telling people to avoid deep water seem superfluous, as the area has just become a mud flat.' The reservoir is owned by United Utilities, who issued a warning earlier this month urging residents of the north-west of England to use less water as reservoir levels sit at 69 per cent full, far below the usual 90 per cent at this time last year. Matt Hemmings, chief operating officer at United Utilities, said: 'We have ramped up our operations as this dry spell continues to manage water resources and get water to where it is needed. 'With local reservoir levels lower than we would expect for the time of the year, we can all play our part to make sure there's enough water for people, wildlife and the environment.'
Times
12-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Southern Water pauses water-saving scheme despite drought fears
Southern Water is pausing a scheme to help households curb their water use, despite growing fears of a drought this summer. The company said it must address water supplies and domestic use because the southeast is currently drier than 'Sydney, Dallas, Marrakesh and Istanbul'. Tim Mcmahon, the company's water managing director, told the BBC: 'We need to reduce customers' usage. Otherwise we will have to put other investments in place, which will not be good for our customers and might not be the best thing for the environment.' Lawrence Gosden, Southern Water's chief executive, has said its customers' average usage of 127 litres per person a day must come down. 'I do believe there is more to go at in terms of water
Times
07-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Ration water as southeast drier than Marrakesh, says water boss
Customers in the southeast of England should ration their water because the region is 'drier than Marrakesh', the managing director of Southern Water has claimed. Tim Mcmahon said consumers would face higher bills unless they could cut back on their usage. 'If you look at the southeast of England, it's drier than Sydney, Istanbul, Dallas, Marrakesh,' Mcmahon told the BBC. 'We have got a very densely populated area and we need to start investing to cater for that. We need to reduce customers' usage. Otherwise, we will have to put other investments in place, which will not be good for our customers and might not be the best thing for the environment.' Water bills are expected to increase by £155 over the next five years, according to the regulator Ofwat GETTY IMAGES Price rises would be necessary to improve infrastructure because the majority of the
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mass immigration means the water will run out and we are not prepared
The boss of Southern Water has told households that they need to ration their water use because the region is 'drier than Sydney, Dallas, Marrakesh and Istanbul'. Needless to say, given the appalling way most of these privatised companies have been run, Tim Mcmahon was denounced for blaming the consumer for the failings of his business. Why don't you repair the leaks properly and invest more in infrastructure before passing the buck, was a characteristic response. But Mr Mcmahon has a point. We often forget that rainfall levels in London and the Home Counties are among the lowest in Europe. In some years, the annual total in Essex is even below that of Jerusalem. However, our rain normally falls throughout the year rather than in monsoon-like summer deluges, which means the reservoirs and aquifers are routinely replenished and the water retained. Rain is needed, indeed expected, in winter and spring; yet the first four months of this year have been exceptionally arid. Some areas have had their driest start to the year in almost a century. We have seen heath fires raging and reservoirs emptying and it is just the start of May. Water is our most precious commodity yet we are reckless with its use because we always imagine there will be no shortages. When there are – as during the drought of 1976 – and we have to use standpipes, everyone complains about the lack of resilience and then forgets about it once the heavens open again. The population of England in 1976 was 46 million; today it is 57 million. Moreover, most of the increase has been in the very areas where rainfall is lowest. So the demand is growing while supply is not keeping up. Even in a normal rainfall year this would be problematic. In a drought, a crisis looms. Mr Mcmahon says the answer is to reduce demand by rationing, But the solution, surely, is to increase supply. This country is cursed by short-termism in public policy and especially where water is concerned. It is more than 30 years since the last major reservoir was opened in England at Carsington in Derbyshire. A four-decade planning battle has been waged over a new reservoir near Abingdon which would supply the parched South East. Southern Water is planning to construct a reservoir near Portsmouth but it will be years before it comes on stream. The Government has promised to speed up planning for new water projects, even as it seeks to build 1.5 million new homes, mostly in areas with shortages. If ever there was a failure of joined-up thinking, here it is. It is madness to keep building houses, mainly to meet the demands caused by years of mass immigration, if the water is running out. There is an answer. Since our maritime climate brings great variations in rainfall, and parts of the country have copious amounts, we could move water from the places that have got it – but don't need so much – to drier, more populous parts that risk being left parched. Indeed, it is an answer that has been staring us in the face for more than 80 years. A national water grid was proposed back in 1943 by the engineer J F Pownall. He produced plans for a canal running down the spine of England at the 310ft contour and connecting the most populated towns and cities. This Grand Contour Canal would have no locks, other than at the entry and exit points, and would serve as a grid able to distribute water around the country. Needless to say it never got built. A canal was seen as old hat in a world in thrall to the internal combustion engine and despite the fact that many countries have such schemes (as, indeed, did the Romans). It is another good idea that fell victim to the post-war insularity that has suffocated the life out of a country that was once adventurous and innovative but became tentative and lacking in ambition. The Grand Contour Canal joins the nuclear power stations we never built, the tidal energy we could have had and the bigger airports that never materialised (and never will). We have a national grid for electricity, so why not a national water grid? It is hardly a new concept: the ancient Chinese built one nearly 2,000 years ago while aqueducts testify to Roman ingenuity in this field. Yes, we can build more reservoirs, but they will take years. We could and should open more desalination plants beyond the one that currently lies dormant in east London. But the former cause major local issues, as Abingdon has found, while the latter are seen as inefficient and bad for the environment. We don't need a Pownall-style scheme to use the existing river and canal systems much better to move water around. It already happens in some parts, such as the provision of water to Merseyside from north Wales. A study by the Institute of Civil Engineers a few years ago concluded that a grid is both feasible and cheaper than building new reservoirs in the South. One option is to tap the vast reservoirs in Wales and transfer the water from the Severn to the Thames through a pipeline or aqueduct linking the two rivers. Better still, use the existing canals. Overall responsibility for policy lies with the National Rivers Authority and the Environment Agency, who are opposed to inter-regional transfers on grounds of cost (although it would be a fraction that of HS2). They decided as long ago as 2006 that the demand could be met by other means, such as new reservoirs, but have failed to take into consideration the huge population increase in the meantime. Some objections are irrational, seeing the transfer of 'the North's water' to the South East as somehow unethical, though we move electricity and gas around without moral qualms. It is simply a matter of time before a drought puts water resources under stress and everyone starts to ask why successive governments and their agencies did nothing to prepare. Thames Water expects demand in drought years in the South East to exceed supply by some 60 million litres per day by 2035, so where will it come from? While repairing leaks is important, it is not sufficient. It is one thing to face the prospect of power blackouts because of the net zero policy. Just wait until the water runs out. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
06-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Mass immigration means the water will run out and we are not prepared
The boss of Southern Water has told households that they need to ration their water use because the region is ' drier than Sydney, Dallas, Marrakesh and Istanbul '. Needless to say, given the appalling way most of these privatised companies have been run, Tim Mcmahon was denounced for blaming the consumer for the failings of his business. Why don't you repair the leaks properly and invest more in infrastructure before passing the buck, was a characteristic response. But Mr Mcmahon has a point. We often forget that rainfall levels in London and the Home Counties are among the lowest in Europe. In some years, the annual total in Essex is even below that of Jerusalem. However, our rain normally falls throughout the year rather than in monsoon-like summer deluges, which means the reservoirs and aquifers are routinely replenished and the water retained. Rain is needed, indeed expected, in winter and spring; yet the first four months of this year have been exceptionally arid. Some areas have had their driest start to the year in almost a century. We have seen heath fires raging and reservoirs emptying and it is just the start of May. Water is our most precious commodity yet we are reckless with its use because we always imagine there will be no shortages. When there are – as during the drought of 1976 – and we have to use standpipes, everyone complains about the lack of resilience and then forgets about it once the heavens open again. The population of England in 1976 was 46 million; today it is 57 million. Moreover, most of the increase has been in the very areas where rainfall is lowest. So the demand is growing while supply is not keeping up. Even in a normal rainfall year this would be problematic. In a drought, a crisis looms. Mr Mcmahon says the answer is to reduce demand by rationing, But the solution, surely, is to increase supply. This country is cursed by short-termism in public policy and especially where water is concerned. It is more than 30 years since the last major reservoir was opened in England at Carsington in Derbyshire. A four-decade planning battle has been waged over a new reservoir near Abingdon which would supply the parched South East. Southern Water is planning to construct a reservoir near Portsmouth but it will be years before it comes on stream. The Government has promised to speed up planning for new water projects, even as it seeks to build 1.5 million new homes, mostly in areas with shortages. If ever there was a failure of joined-up thinking, here it is. It is madness to keep building houses, mainly to meet the demands caused by years of mass immigration, if the water is running out. There is an answer. Since our maritime climate brings great variations in rainfall, and parts of the country have copious amounts, we could move water from the places that have got it – but don't need so much – to drier, more populous parts that risk being left parched. Indeed, it is an answer that has been staring us in the face for more than 80 years. A national water grid was proposed back in 1943 by the engineer J F Pownall. He produced plans for a canal running down the spine of England at the 310ft contour and connecting the most populated towns and cities. This Grand Contour Canal would have no locks, other than at the entry and exit points, and would serve as a grid able to distribute water around the country. Needless to say it never got built. A canal was seen as old hat in a world in thrall to the internal combustion engine and despite the fact that many countries have such schemes (as, indeed, did the Romans). It is another good idea that fell victim to the post-war insularity that has suffocated the life out of a country that was once adventurous and innovative but became tentative and lacking in ambition. The Grand Contour Canal joins the nuclear power stations we never built, the tidal energy we could have had and the bigger airports that never materialised (and never will). We have a national grid for electricity, so why not a national water grid? It is hardly a new concept: the ancient Chinese built one nearly 2,000 years ago while aqueducts testify to Roman ingenuity in this field. Yes, we can build more reservoirs, but they will take years. We could and should open more desalination plants beyond the one that currently lies dormant in east London. But the former cause major local issues, as Abingdon has found, while the latter are seen as inefficient and bad for the environment. We don't need a Pownall-style scheme to use the existing river and canal systems much better to move water around. It already happens in some parts, such as the provision of water to Merseyside from north Wales. A study by the Institute of Civil Engineers a few years ago concluded that a grid is both feasible and cheaper than building new reservoirs in the South. One option is to tap the vast reservoirs in Wales and transfer the water from the Severn to the Thames through a pipeline or aqueduct linking the two rivers. Better still, use the existing canals. Overall responsibility for policy lies with the National Rivers Authority and the Environment Agency, who are opposed to inter-regional transfers on grounds of cost (although it would be a fraction that of HS2). They decided as long ago as 2006 that the demand could be met by other means, such as new reservoirs, but have failed to take into consideration the huge population increase in the meantime. Some objections are irrational, seeing the transfer of 'the North's water' to the South East as somehow unethical, though we move electricity and gas around without moral qualms. It is simply a matter of time before a drought puts water resources under stress and everyone starts to ask why successive governments and their agencies did nothing to prepare. Thames Water expects demand in drought years in the South East to exceed supply by some 60 million litres per day by 2035, so where will it come from? While repairing leaks is important, it is not sufficient. It is one thing to face the prospect of power blackouts because of the net zero policy. Just wait until the water runs out.
