Brits urged to do 5 things now as UK faces huge water shortages

Brits have been advised to do two things as the country is warned that it . The has warned that the country could face shortages of around five billion litres a day by 2055 unless urgent measures are taken by water companies and the general public.

The new report recommends improvements to the infrastructure used by water companies to reduce leaks and manage demand whilst asking the public to play their part. Climate change, population growth, and environmental pressures are impacting supplies with the predicted shortfall equivalent to a third of our current daily use - or the volume of 4.5 Wembley Stadiums. and , the Environment Agency has asked people to make small changes to their everyday lives to counter the threat, including taking shorter showers, turning off the taps whilst brushing their teeth and using full loads for washing machines and dishwashers.

More unexpected measures include collecting rainwater for garden use and deleting emails to reduce pressure on data centres.

The warnings came in the Environment Agency's National Framework for Water Resources which sets out the actions required by water companies, regulators, businesses, and the public to best manage water usage into the future.

Environment Agency Chair, Alan Lovell, said: "The nation's water resources are under huge and steadily increasing pressure.

"This deficit threatens not only the water from your tap but also economic growth and food production. Taking water unsustainably from the environment will have a disastrous impact on our rivers and wildlife.

"We need to tackle these challenges head-on and strengthen work on co-ordinated action to preserve this precious resource and our current way of life."

The agency expects 60% of this deficit to be addressed by water companies managing demand and dramatically reducing leaks.

The remaining 40% would come from boosting supply, including the building of new reservoirs and water transfer schemes.

The Government has in water company infrastructure over the next five years, including £8 billion committed to boost water supply and manage demand.

chief executive, David Black, said: "Boosting supply through building critical water infrastructure is essential to safeguard supplies of drinking water.

"The way is now clear for the water industry to build on the success of the recently opened £5 billion Thames Tideway project by stepping forward to deliver an expanded pipeline of 30 major projects which we need in England and Wales."