England faces a projected shortfall of five billion litres in public water supply per day by 2055, an amount almost equivalent to filling Wembley Stadium four and a half times daily. This prospect is attributed to increasingly frequent heatwaves, greatly reduced rainfall over successive summers, and a projected increase in water demand.
Farmer Daniel Sizer in Suffolk experienced the impact of low river levels in early August, with the Environment Agency temporarily stopping him and thousands of other farmers from watering crops from rivers in July. He reported that half of his pea and wheat crop was ruined due to a lack of water.
Daily water consumption in England stands at 136.5 litres per person, significantly higher than Denmark's 97 litres per person. Nicci Russell of Waterwise noted that per-person water use has doubled in England over the last 50 to 60 years, with changing habits such as more frequent showers contributing to this increase. Households account for nearly 60% of water use in England and Wales.
Daniel Johns, managing director of Water Resources East, stated that water in England is "too cheap," contributing to the assumption that it will always be readily available. Five of the nine water companies are phasing out discounted charges for businesses that use more water, as Ofwat, the industry regulator, expressed concern that this "might be sending the wrong signal on water efficiency."