August 2026
Water scarcity has long been associated with arid regions such as the Middle East, Asia and parts of Africa. Today, however, the UK is facing the same kind of pressure. More than half of England has now been officially declared to be in drought following record low rainfall, prolonged heatwaves and rising demand for water. July 2026 was the driest July on record, with some parts of southern England receiving just 1% of normal rainfall. Rivers are running low, reservoir levels have fallen significantly below average, and millions of people are living under water-use restrictions.
Globally, water stress is becoming one of the defining resource challenges of the 21st century, with population growth, climate change and industrial demand placing increasing pressure on freshwater supplies. The UN estimates that over two billion people already live in countries experiencing high water stress, underlining the growing need to recover, reuse and conserve water.
Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of droughts in the UK, while population growth continues to increase demand for water. The Environment Agency warns that, without urgent action, England will face a water supply shortfall of 5 billion litres per day by 2055*, equivalent to around a third of current daily public water demand. Securing future supplies will require significant investment and innovation.
The impacts are already being felt across the economy. Farmers face reduced crop yields and rising irrigation costs, industries are under pressure to manage water more efficiently, and low river flows threaten ecosystems and biodiversity. Water companies are struggling to balance supply and demand, leading to restrictions across many regions. Recent UK climate assessments reinforce the direction of travel. The Met Office’s latest State of the UK Climate reporting shows that the UK is experiencing more frequent temperature extremes and changing rainfall patterns, increasing the need for water systems that are resilient to both drought and flood conditions.
The UK is responding through investment in new reservoirs, leakage reduction action, expanded water transfer infrastructure and public water-efficiency initiatives. Water recycling and reuse are also becoming increasingly important pillars of the nation’s long-term water resilience strategy. Plans currently include 10 new reservoirs, nine desalination schemes and seven water recycling projects by 2050.
However, major infrastructure projects take years to deliver. The drought of 2026 demonstrates the need for technologies that can be rapidly deployed to reduce pressure on freshwater resources. The challenge is particularly urgent when considered alongside the fact that up to 28 million people live in drought-affected areas of England.
This is where University of Birmingham spin-out company Salinity Solutions can play an important role. Its patented HyBatch™ hybrid batch reverse osmosis technology enables industrial and municipal users to recover significantly more fresh water from wastewater streams. HyBatch enables the recovery of 90-95% of treated water while significantly reducing waste brine volumes, chemical consumption and overall energy requirements compared with conventional treatment technologies.
The technology is already being deployed internationally through Salinity Solutions’ collaboration with RealZLD in India, one of the world’s most water-stressed industrial markets. Working together, the companies are applying HyBatch to help customers recover more water from difficult wastewater streams, reduce waste volumes and support more sustainable zero-liquid-discharge and reuse applications. The Indian market provides a powerful proof point for the UK: technologies proven in regions under acute water stress can help accelerate resilience in markets where scarcity is now becoming more frequent.
Rather than extracting increasing amounts of freshwater from rivers, reservoirs and groundwater sources, customers can recover, treat and reuse water that would otherwise be discarded. This helps manufacturers, utilities and water-intensive industries improve drought resilience, lower operating costs and reduce environmental impact. Higher recovery rates mean less water is wasted, while lower energy consumption supports both net-zero ambitions and business efficiency goals.
Water reuse technologies have been deployed in the world’s most water-stressed regions for decades. Recent droughts show that water scarcity is no longer a distant challenge for the UK. Building new infrastructure remains essential, but improving the efficiency of existing water resources will be equally important. The average person in England and Wales uses 122 litres of water per day when metered, compared with 171 litres in unmetered households, highlighting how efficiency measures can materially reduce demand.
The global water shortage has arrived in the UK. The good news is that many of the solutions already exist. By enabling greater water reuse, higher recovery rates and lower energy consumption, technologies like HyBatch can help industry and utilities build a more resilient, sustainable and water-secure future.
*https://www.gov.uk/government/news/england-faces-5-billion-litre-public-water-shortage-by-2055-without-urgent-action