Everyone must find a way to save water to help limit the effects of drought, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said on Monday following a major summit to discuss England's water crisis. I say crisis because this came on the same day it was announced that the South East is now officially in drought, with much of England likely to follow suit. And of course the fact that there is insufficient water to go around is not just England's problem, is it?

The summit, which was called by the Environment Secretary after another year of much lower than average rainfall, brought together key players in the water industry to discuss what is already being done to tackle drought and to decide upon actions that need to be taken to mitigate against its impact in the future.

As parts of the UK have been affected by droughts for many months and prolonged periods of heavy rainfall in the near future are unlikely according to recent Met Office forecasts, the Environment Secretary urged water companies, businesses, and people to find ways of reducing water waste and water usage.

Speaking after the summit, Caroline Spelman said: 

"Ensuring we have enough water this summer is vitally important, and that is why I called the summit today. Drought is already an issue this year with the South East, Anglia and other parts of the UK now officially in drought, and more areas are likely to be affected as we continue to experience a prolonged period of very low rainfall. 
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Yours,