Drought
Hard won environmental protections may be temporarily overturned to meet water demand.

Despite late October rain fall the Kennet catchment is still experiencing drought. River water levels and aquifer levels are below normal for the time of year and without significant sustained rainfall throughout the winter they are unlikely to return to normal by Spring 2023. All our water comes from the natural environment, Water consumption in the Kennet catchment is still above average, despite the current hosepipe ban. 
 
Reservoir levels in the surrounding area are low, which means more water needs to be abstracted from the groundwater that feeds rivers including the Kennet and Pang. 
 
Thames Water has made an application to temporarily increase abstraction from the Axford borehole on the Kennet. You can read the full application details here
 
The Environment Agency has activated the West Berkshire Groundwater Scheme. You can read here about what that means for local rivers. The scheme was last used in 1976 and the fact it is being put in to service now is a reflection of the water resource issues we currently face.
 
A  summary of the water resource situation, is regularly published by CEH in their Hydrological Summary. A link to September 2022 is here. The CEH Water Resrouces Portal is a great resource to explore water resources in your area. 

ARK is calling for protection in law for all chalk streams to enable investment in sustainable water supplies.