Action needs to be taken now to protect the future of the River Ver.
The Ver Valley Society is insisting on an immediate hosepipe ban - despite the prospect of impending storms - to protect the rare and historic chalk stream.
Society chairman John Pritchard said water company drought management plans - designed to mitigate the effects of the summer's drought - are not worth the paper they're written on.
"Take the case of our very own River Ver, which largely dried up in 2019, leaving only the last 5km of the 28km flowing into the Colne.
"Hundreds of citizens protested in St Albans that their river had disappeared without so much as a hosepipe ban. This is where Affinity Water’s Drought Management Plan comes in.
"Groundwater has to have fallen to Trigger Zone 3 before a hosepipe ban might be called – and in the Ver’s case virtually all of the river will have gone by then, as in 2019.
"The trouble is at present we are deemed to be only in Trigger Zone 1. The events of 2019 were a huge signal that the Trigger Zones needed reassessing from the environment’s point of view. But nothing has changed in the last three years and the trigger points remain the same."
He explained that drought management plans are designed to maintain public water supply as opposed to sparing the environment from the worst effects of prolonged dry weather or a drought.
"Let’s not kid ourselves; a hosepipe ban won’t solve everything. However, it’s a very good way to signal to consumers that small actions right now will save water and might prevent a much larger future inconvenience. Not to mention helping the environment and giving the river an opportunity to flow for just that bit longer."
Because the Ver’s underlying flow comes from groundwater that fell as rain and soaked through the Chiltern Hills months ago, it is impossible to predict how much rain will fall this winter and replenish the groundwater we all drink and the Ver relies on.
What can you do?
- If we all continue to use water wisely, that’s an obvious start.
- Use the dry weather to spot and report any water leaks. Affinity Water leaks 161 million litres of water every day – so fixing leaks is a top priority
- Write to your MP and say that Affinity Water’s Drought Management Plan is inadequate for protecting the environment.
The Ver in Redbourn August 2022. (Image: Ver Valley Society)
Affinity Water has been contacted for a comment but has yet to respond.
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