Yorkshire Water provides insight into future reservoir supplies
Image credit: Yorkshire Water/PA
A water services company has created a glimpse into how climate change could affect supplies in the future, to encourage people to save water.
Yorkshire Water has produced a video and images that visualise how some of its reservoirs could look in the next 50 years if we were to take no action to conserve water.
The Bradford-based company predicts that it will have 100 million litres less in its daily supply by 2045.
A recent survey of people in the region has found that while 50 per cent were concerned about shortages, one in 10 did not believe they would affect Yorkshire for another 100 years, the utility firm said.
Artistic impression of how Langsett Reservoir in the Peak District could look in 2071.
Image credit: Yorkshire Water/PA
“We can already see and feel the impacts of climate change all around us,” said Suzanne Dunn, water resources strategy manager at Yorkshire Water. “Seeing what our reservoirs and environment could look like in 50 years’ time might be surprising and scary to some people, but the important thing to note is that it’s not too late for us to change that future.”
With the Environment Agency predicting shortages within 25 years if no action is taken, the water company has released an immersive 360˚ video that gives a glimpse into what the future of its reservoirs could look like if predictions are correct.
The company also revealed three futuristic images, which show what reservoirs at Fewston near Otley, Butterley in Derbyshire, and Langsett on the edge of the Peak District National Park could look like in the same time frame.
Martin Christmas, Yorkshire environment manager at the Environment Agency, said: “What we do with water and how much we use directly impacts people and the environment, including many of the places we care most about – our rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.
“We need to be careful with our water supply. With the weather we experience in the UK, it’s easy to think there’s enough to go round, but when you factor in the effects of climate change and population growth, there is a genuine risk of water shortages by 2050.”
An artist’s impress of what Fewston Reservoir, near Harrogate, could look like unless action is taken to save water.
Image credit: Yorkshire Water/PA
To address these future challenges, Yorkshire Water has a Water Resources Management Plan, committed to managing the impacts of increased population and hotter, drier weather because of climate change.
Key aspects of the plan include reducing the amount of water that escapes from its pipes and engaging with customers to help them understand ways they might use less water.
Yorkshire Water is trialing new technologies to find leaks more quickly and has made a commitment to reduce leaks from its pipes by 50 per cent by 2050.
Its survey also showed the top ways that customers can save water are turning the tap off while you brush your teeth and only using the washing machine when you have a full load.
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