People need to use less water and companies must curb leaks to prevent future water shortages and damage to rivers and wildlife, the Environment Agency (EA) has warned.
Many sources of water supplies are already overstretched and, with climate change and a growing population, much of England could see significant supply shortages by the 2050s – particularly in the south-east.
Large amounts of water are also wasted by households, where average use is 140 litres per person a day.
Taking too much water out of the environment can harm wildlife such as fish, birds and aquatic plants, and damage wetlands which are important habitats for a host of animals and plants.
Climate change is predicted to cause increased river flows in the winter and decreased flows in the summer, which – along with drier conditions because of warmer temperatures – could have a greater effect on wildlife.
More stagnant water during droughts and higher temperatures could also lead to the spread of mosquito borne diseases such as dengue fever and West Nile virus, the report warned.
England’s population is growing, and is set to rise to 58.5 million by 2026, putting even more stress on water supplies.
If no action is taken to reduce demand and increase water supplies , most areas will not be able to meet demand, the report said.
It is the most fundamental thing needed to ensure a healthy environment but we are taking too much of it and have to work together to manage this precious resource.
And while there is not likely to be significant abstraction of water to use in fracking for shale gas in England, there could be local impacts in areas that are already water stressed if the industry develops, the report said.