The drought of 1976

IN JUNE, drought was already wrecking crops and threatening to destroy the livelihoods of Hampshire farmers.

On July 2 the use of hosepipes and sprinklers was banned across the county. Special government powers to combat the drought were also announced in the Commons.

By this time streets were literally melting and experts warned that the roads were at their most dangerous since records began.

Judges and barristers took off their wigs at Southampton Crown Court, temperatures in crane cabs at Southampton docks were going up to 110F, and children were sent home from school in Winchester because it was just too hot to work.

Northam Bridge was regularly being dampened down to prevent damage to the structure.

Firefighters on the Isle of Wight were being called to ten grass and woodland blazes a day and there were calls to close the New Forest to visitors to prevent the ancient woodland being razed to the ground by someone carelessly dropping a cigarette on tinder-dry grass.

Thornden School in Chandler's Ford moved the start of the school day forward to 8am to beat the heat.

Daily Echo canteen staff fried an egg on a manhole cover in Above Bar and fruit was cooking on bushes.

By September, houses in the Medina area on the Isle of Wight had begun to subside due to the foundations cracking as a result of the drought.

That was 30 years ago in the long, hot summer of 1976 - but statistics held on a Met Office computer show that it could all happen again.

For an entire year rainfall in Hampshire has been below average.

In the county most of our water comes from rivers and underground sources, known as aquifers. An aquifer is an underground bed of earth, gravel or porous stone that stores water. In Hampshire our underground water is stored in chalk beneath the Hampshire Downs.

These aquifers only benefit from rainfall between November and March, when the level of moisture in the soil is enough for water seep through.

Between November 2004 and March 2005 Hampshire had just 53 per cent of its expected rainfall - in February this year just 16.4 mm of rain fell: 28 per cent of the average for the time of year.

In short, in the critical winter period we have had just half the rainfall expected.

The figures speak for themselves: the county is staring the serious possibility of summer droughts, hosepipe bans and possibly even more serious measures in the face.

The Echo warned in March that water restrictions could have been brought in by now but luckily a wet April has delayed a hosepipe ban - but it may not be for long.

Weather experts are predicting a scorcher of a summer - the government recently issued a heat-wave plan after the Met Office predicted that summer temperatures would exceed the 22 degrees centigrade average.

Water restrictions - banning the use of sprinklers and unattended hosepipes - have already been ordered by East Surrey Water and Hampshire could soon be forced to follow suit.

"Hosepipe bans do look likely as the summer continues," said Catherine Henwood of the environment Agency.

Even the fact that April was relatively wet hasn't done a great deal to alleviate the problem.

"Because of where the water comes from in Hampshire, resources are less likely to recover quickly because there isn't as much effect from immediate rainfall as in areas where the rain can be harvested easily."

As reported in the Echo last month, Rod Murchie, the Environment Agency's Hampshire water resources manager, has warned that we are in a serious drought situation.

It might not stop at a hosepipe and sprinkler ban. Ms Henwood has warned that queuing for water at standpipes in the street may become a feature of future summers in Hampshire.

General water usage, like showering daily or washing up after each meal, could become rare luxuries, let alone watering the garden or washing the car.

"The more water we use the more likely it is that it's going to run out. If people continue to use water in the nonchalant way that they do it's not unfeasible to believe that in the future there could be standpipes in the street again," said Ms Henwood.

The Environment Agency is keen to emphasise that it is not scare-mongering in an effort to persuade people to cut down on their water usage.

"We don't want to appear to be crying wolf by saying that there's going to be a hosepipe ban and there's a drought on if there's a possibility that the situation is going to be turned around. We know that the more we talk about it the less people are going to listen," said Ms Henwood.

Southern Water - the people who decide if water restrictions are to be imposed - are less adamant than the Environment Agency that a hosepipe ban is likely this summer but they do admit that there is a water shortage.

"We are in a drought situation in Hampshire but it's not as bad as in other parts of the region like Sussex and Kent. At the moment we're not planning to bring in any sort of restrictions in Hampshire," said Penny Hodge from Southern Water.

" We're not foreseeing any restrictions being brought in in the near future but they can't be ruled out," she added.

"Hampshire is a slightly more water- rich area as a whole than other places in the region because it has underground sources and rivers."

The Environment Agency says that long-term climate change is likely to see real changes to our summers.

"Our climate is changing and it's likely that as a result of climate change we'll have less water available, have longer, drier summers and less winter rainfall but more chance of sudden flooding," said Ms Henwood.

"This is due to carbon emissions and other effects of people. It's important that everyone looks at all aspects of their environmental behaviour.

"We'd encourage people not to use a hosepipe when washing their car, turn the tap off when brushing their teeth and water the garden efficiently, so don't just water for the sake of it.

"People also need to think about things like energy use and how much you use your car because those things are driving climate change and climate change is leading to longer, drier summers."

DON'T WASTE IT!

Do your bit and help conserve water:

Water your garden in the cooler early mornings or evenings to reduce evaporation loss.

Keep a bottle of water in the fridge to drink rather than running the tap until the water comes out cold.

Use a watering can rather than a hosepipe and fill it with water collected in a rainwater butt.

Don't leave the tap running when you brush your teeth, shave or wash your hands - this can waste up to five litres of water a minute.

Lawns can survive long periods of dry weather if the grass isn't cut too short. Even if the grass turns brown it will recover quickly after a few days of rain.

Dripping taps can waste up to four litres of water a day. Replace worn tap washers for a quick and cheap way of saving water.

Avoid using garden sprinklers - they can use as much water in an hour as a family of four uses in a day.

Half-load programmes on dishwashers and washing machines use more than half the water and energy of a full load so save up your washing and do a full load.