Seven in ten (70%) UK adults believe that successive governments have failed to prioritise water security, according to a study by Affinity Water.
The study, which surveyed more than 4,000 UK adults across the political spectrum – voters for the Labour Party, Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats, Green Party and Reform UK were included – found rare cross-party consensus on the failure of the UK government to ensure Britain’s long-term water security.
The study was conducted by Thinks Insight & Strategy, and published alongside Running Dry: England’s Water Security Crisis, a policy report warning that the UK lacks a credible national strategy to meet rising demand from housing, industry and data centres.
Scale of the challenge
“It’s clear that people across the country are starting to understand the scale of the water challenge,” commented Steve Plumb, director of asset strategy and capital delivery at Affinity Water. “They know that the UK risks running out of water and they want action. They back polluters paying. They want the Government to show leadership in reducing demand, to help deliver the reservoirs and infrastructure we need, and to show the level of urgency that the challenge merits.
“Running Dry sets out how the Government can turn that mandate into policy before severe and prolonged droughts become more and more frequent.”
Urgent action
As the study found, more than two thirds (68%) of respondents believe urgent action is needed on water security, while more than half (56%) said they were personally concerned about future water shortages.
Parents and younger adults were most concerned about the UK’s water security, the study found, with 31% of parents ‘highly concerned’ and 27% of under-35s ‘highly concerned’, compared to 10% of those aged 55 and over.
The impact of water scarcity is likely to extend well beyond the tap, the study noted, with more than two thirds (68%) of respondents believing water shortages could threaten the UK’s economic stability, while 60% believed housing shortages could worsen if water constraints prevent new developments.
Elsewhere, some 64% believe the NHS is unprepared for the health emergencies that future water shortages could cause. Read more here.
