Despite the UK experiencing some of the wettest years since records began in the past two decades, one water company is saying its customers could run out of water by 2034 without measures that could include importing water from Norwegian fjords.
Southern Water, the regional monopoly for Kent, Hampshire and Sussex, published its latest draft water resources management plan today, where it set out some of the contingency plans it might need to carry out amidst a forecast 10% growth by the 2050s.
Supplying 565 million litres of drinking water per day to customers across Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, which could need to rise by another 587 million litres as demand grows.
The company, which is owned by Australian investment giant Macquarie after almost collapsing in 2021 after a £90 million sewage pollution fine, says its challenge is "to leave more water in the environment to protect some of our most sensitive habitats, while at the same time securing supplies for one of the fastest growing populations in the UK and preparing for the increased risk of drought due to climate change".
During a drought, Southern says it would face a shortfall of 166 million litres a day in Hampshire alone.
As well as the treatment works upgrades and new reservoir in its base-level plans, the company has looked at an option to import up to 45 million litres of water per day from Norwegian fjords via sea tankers.
This would be to make sure supplies are resilient in the early 2030s in the event of a drought.
It has been in talks with a company to ship water from Norwegian glacial melts, the Financial Times reported, though said it was a last-resort measure.
Extreme Drought Resilience Service, the private company in question, suggested there are "several" other UK water companies that are looking at such contingency plans, with his company in discussions with them and Norwegian water suppliers.
Regulator Ofwat has already agreed to a provisional 44% hike in customer bills over the next five years.