HC Deb 07 March 2003 vol 400 cc1285-6W
Norman Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the total water use in each region that was supplied from(a) watercourses, (b) aquifers, (c) reservoirs and (d) other sources in (i) 1974, (ii) 1984, (iii) 1994 and (iv) 2002; and what her estimate is for (A) 2012 and (B) 2022. [99242]

Mr. Morley

The Environment Agency records data on abstractions as from either groundwater (aquifers) or surface water. Abstractions from reservoirs are recorded in the surface water figures.

The figures for abstractions of water in each Environment Agency region are expressed in the table below. Data for 1984 are unavailable in the format requested, but 1985 data have been provided as the total abstractions are comparable. Data for 2002 are currently being verified so abstractions for 2000 are given, representing the most recent year for which verified data is available.

There may be discontinuities in the trend data caused by the adjustment of data published by the former Department of the Environment for 1974 and 1984 to coincide with Agency boundaries, and by changes to classification.

Total predicated demand for 2010 and 2025 by Agency Region (million litres per day)
2010 minimum 2010 maximum 2025 minimum 2025 maximum
Thames 3994 4694 2994 6894
EA Wales 8960 9160 8520 9860
Total 39810 42660 34620 53307

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