Emergency plan drawn up for water to be imported from Norway in case of extreme drought

Water supplies may be shipped from Norway to the UK under plans for a “last-resort” measure in case of extreme droughts.

Southern Water, one of the country’s largest water companies, is considering a measure which could see up to 45 million litres of water shipped to the UK in tankers per day.

The company said it would be a “last-resort contingency measure” only used in case of an “extreme drought emergency” in the early 2030s.

It is not a preferred solution and would only be implemented in the case of a rare drought, which would be considerably worse than the severe drought of 1976, it added.

Tim McMahon, Southern Water’s managing director for water, said: “We put less water into supply now than we did 30 years ago and measures like reducing leakage have enabled us to keep pace so far with population growth and climate change.

“As we work to take less water from our chalk streams and build new reservoirs like Havant Thicket in Hampshire, we need a range of options to help protect the environment while this infrastructure comes online.

“Importing water would be a last resort contingency measure that would only be used for a short period in the event of an extreme drought emergency in the early 2030s - something considerably worse than the drought of 1976.

“We have a range of other reserve options to call on first, such as temporary desalination plants and water-saving agreements with businesses, to keep Hampshire’s taps running, so the likelihood of needing to import water is very remote.

“We’re committed to continuing to work with our regulators on developing the right solutions to meet the challenge of water scarcity while protecting the environment.”

Southern Water confirmed to The Independent that it is in early-stage talks with the Extreme Drought Resilience Service, part of a private UK company called Water Level Limited.

The Independent has also contacted Water Level Limited for comment on the talks.

The emergency plan was first reported in the Financial Times, which said the water would come from fjords in Norway.

It comes in part as a response to growing environmental concerns regarding droughts in the UK, particularly following summer 2022.

The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology said in March that the country is being “increasingly tested” by droughts, which pose challenges for water companies.

“The 2022 drought posed significant challenges to water management and communication with the public given the speed of onset of drought conditions and impacts,” the centre said.

Southern Water, which covers Hampshire, Kent, East and West Sussex, and the Isle of Wight, would use customers’ bills to pay for the measure. Currently, its water supplies are taken from groundwater and chalk streams.

The Environment Agency warned Southern Water in March to stop tapping into globally rare chalk streams during dry spells. Southern Water signed an agreement with the EA in 2028 pledging the company would find an alternative water source by 2027.

Southern Water has come under heavy criticism recently after it was found to be one of four companies - including Anglian Water, Thames Water and Yorkshire Water - responsible for more than 90 per cent of serious pollution incidents in 2023.

The company has a two-star overall rating by the agency out of four.