We are going to see ‘more periods of flood and more periods of drought’ according to the prediction by Lord Smith of Finsbury. 
These are going to get more pronounced as climate change impacts further!
Drought did not necessarily mean ‘no car washing or watering of the garden’, he said, but it did mean that ‘we are going to have to think much more carefully about water.’
Chairman of the Environment Agency, Lord Smith, says: “We must use water much more wisely. Also we have to get better at interconnecting between water companies.
“And we have to make sure that we store more water for agriculture purposes, for example, during the periods when it’s raining, so that we can use it during periods of drought!”
He also suggested that it was ‘not necessarily accurate that developers were putting more properties at risk by building on flood plains’.
He says: “Where there are really good defences in place or where a property that’s being built has built-in resistance and there’s nothing at risk on the ground floor, then development in a flood plain may be something quite sensible to do?”
He added that: “We know that in 96% of cases, where we – The Environment Agency – advised against development the local authorities followed our advice.”
He appeared non-committal over water price rises. But he made the point: “Water resources are going to be something we have to plan for much more carefully in the future, than we have done so in the past!”
More information: www.enviroment-agency.gov.uk/