Emsworth river becoming 'not much more than a chain of puddles' say campaigners

Over the past 50 years, the River Ems, which runs from Stoughton to the A259 in Emsworth, has frequently run low on water during the summer months.

The river's flow is managed by Portsmouth Water, which has a pump to push water through the river, but can also drain it at Walderton and Woodmancote to provide water to houses.

But the Friends of the River Ems group says this drainage has gone too far, and is urging Portsmouth Water and the Environment Agency to consider cutting back.

A spokesman for the group said: ‘Having enough water in our taps is of vital importance. But the social and environmental benefits of a fully functioning river are also of immense value.

‘The Ems is a very rare chalk stream, one of only about 200 of its kind on earth – it’s a vital resource for local people as well as for wildlife.

‘It’s now at a very worrying point and action is needed to save it.

‘We believe it must be possible to find a way of reducing pressure on the river while maintaining a water supply.’

According to the Environment Agency, Portsmouth Water has an abstraction licence which allows it to take up to 9.9m cubic metres per year for public water supply from the aquifer in the River Ems catchment.

It is also licensed to pump in a further 1.1m cubic metres of water when the river flow is low.

A spokeswoman for the agency said it would find the best solution for everyone.

SEE ALSO: Drone used by council to monitor people flocking to seafront

She said: ‘We are working with Portsmouth Water and the local community group Friends of the Ems to consider what options there are for future improvements to the River Ems.

‘Only by working in partnership can chalk streams be improved and preserved for future generations.’

Last summer, the River Ems became ‘not much more than a chain of puddles’ as it dried out.

The Friends of the River Ems group’s campaign is also being backed by Chichester MP, Gillian Keegan.

Jim Barker, head of water resources at Portsmouth Water, said: ‘We are happy to engage with the concerns of all our customers and in this case we have been in both correspondence with and have met members of the Friends of the River Ems and representatives of the Environment Agency on a number of occasions last year – and will continue to work with them positively on their concerns this year.

‘As a result of the conditions experienced last summer, we have already started work with the Environment Agency to assess if the changes we made in 2017 were successful in reducing our impact on the river and if not, have undertaken to make further changes to the use of our sites, if we can do so without placing the supply of water to our customers at risk.

‘It’s especially important at this time with the increased need for handwashing in the face of Covid-19 pressures.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news online - as well as fewer adverts, access to our digital edition and mobile app.

Our trial offer starts at just £2 a month for the first two months.