12 November 2007 Despite flooding, water shortages still a South East stress Despite one of the wettest summers on record, Environment Agency staff are set to share their concerns about ‘water stress’ in the South East with local MP, Oliver Heald, during a site visit to the River Beane on Friday 19 October 2007.  Mr Heald, who is the MP for East Hertfordshire, will visit the river to discuss issues such as low water flow and climate change alongside the pressures of building new housing and higher water abstraction rates. The visit is one of a series of MP briefings planned by the Environment Agency. The MP will also be told that the Thames region receives the second lowest annual rainfall in the country, with around 690mm falling in a year, compared to a national average of around 900mm. In fact, the region has less water per head than Syria, at around 264m3 per head compared with 432m3  The Environment Agency’s technical experts will examine Mr Heald’s concerns that with the number of properties being built in the region expected to rise significantly in the next 10 years, the demand for water will also increase accordingly, and with it the need to treat more waste water. Without appropriate measures the region’s water environment could be under greater threat than it already is.  Mr Heald said: ‘I am pleased that the Environment Agency has offered me this chance to visit sites in my constituency which raise challenging environmental issues. The River Beane needs enough water to maintain flow, whilst flooding problems in Little Hadham need long-term resolution. I know Innes Jones at the Environment Agency is working hard on these issues and others. It will be good to have on-site briefings.’ The Environment Agency’s north east area manager Innes Jones added: “The fact that MPs are taking time out to discuss this with us demonstrates the importance of the preservation of water resources. The whole of the South East is under considerable ‘water stress’, and this area has one of the highest demands for water in the UK. The average household usage in this region is 177 litres per head, per day compared with a national average of 151 litres per head, per day. Educating the entire region on water usage remains a high priority. “The balancing act of allowing development whilst protecting the environment for future generations will require a range of significant actions, including investment in new and improved infrastructure for water supply and treatment. The Environment Agency is also calling on water companies to install water meters in every home in the South East by 2015.”