2055 Water Warning: England Risks Losing Enough Water to Fill Wembley Four Times a Day

England is on track to face a massive water shortage unless urgent action is taken, according to a new government report. The looming crisis could leave the country billions of litres short every single day.

The warning stems from a combination of challenges. Climate change is driving hotter, drier weather. At the same time, the population is growing, and more technologies—especially those powering data centres—are placing extra strain on water systems. If nothing changes, the country could face a daily shortfall of five billion litres by 2055. That number could rise by another billion litres when you factor in the growing demand for water in energy production and farming.

To help visualise this, imagine filling Wembley Stadium with water. Now, do it four and a half times. Every day. That’s the scale of the challenge ahead.

The National Framework for Water Resources 2025, released today, outlines the steps needed to avoid this future. It requires significant investment, extensive infrastructure upgrades, and a sharper focus on reducing leaks and managing public demand. The report also urges the country to explore alternative water sources, including water recycling, desalination plants, and new reservoirs.

Last month, Water Minister Emma Hardy issued a stark message: if these issues aren’t addressed, water rationing could become a reality by the 2030s.

To fast-track solutions, the government plans to take control of the planning process for new reservoirs. Two major builds are already in the pipeline—one in Cambridgeshire and the other in Lincolnshire. They’re expected to be completed by 2036 and 2040. These would be the first new reservoirs in England in over 30 years.

And there’s more. Additional reservoirs are being planned for Oxfordshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Kent and East Sussex. All are scheduled to come online by 2050.

The Environment Agency, which published the report, also recommends more innovative and flexible approaches. One example is matching water quality to usage. We do not need high-grade drinking water for everything we do, they argue. Some activities could use lower-quality water, conserving our most precious resources for essential use.

The rollout of smart water meters is another key recommendation. These would enable water companies to track demand and identify leaks more effectively and quickly, helping to minimise waste.

But the report is clear. Without bold, continuous action, the country faces more than just hosepipe bans. With England’s population projected to grow by eight million in the next 30 years, water demand will keep rising, especially as climate conditions become more extreme.

So far, £8 billion has been secured to help shore up water supplies. On top of that, the government has pledged a further £104 billion for investment in the water sector. Water companies, which once operated in silos, are now joining forces to deliver a coordinated national strategy. And that, at least, is a step in the right direction.

But they are up against a global challenge, with changing weather likely to bring ‘more intense rainfall events, and the potential for a greater incidence of drought and flooding’.

‘The yearly window for groundwater recharge may also become shorter and more vulnerable, and hotter temperatures will increase public demand as well as the demand from vegetation and the loss of water through evaporation’.