Throughout 2025, low rainfall led to drought conditions and hosepipe bans across the country, with predictions that this will continue into 2026 unless rainfall increases significantly

Set against a backdrop of the government's growth agenda and spikes in demand for water-intensive infrastructure, such as data centres, to be built, pressure on water resources is a long-term challenge. As demands on water resources increase and the predictability of our weather and water demand increase due to climate change, water resources planning must continue to evolve.

England currently faces a public water supply deficit of nearly five billion litres of water per day by 2050 if nothing is done to address the gap between supply and demand. Half of this deficit is concentrated in the southeast. An additional 1 billion litres per day is likely to be needed in other, non-public water supply areas.

Within the context of the Independent Water Commission, this report outlines key recommendations from CIWEM's Water Resources panel on how to manage the UK's water better to address current demand gaps and anticipated widening gaps in future years.

Proper management of water influences extensive elements of the government's policy agenda; it's time to implement an ambitious and diverse approach to water resources planning.