The source of the river has shifted from its official starting point outside Cirencester during the ongoing dry weather and is now more than 5 miles (8 km) downstream. Dr Rob Collins, director of policy and science at the Rivers Trust, said: “Following prolonged dry weather, the source of the Thames in Gloucestershire has dried up, with a weak flow now only discernible more than 5 miles downstream (at Somerford Keynes). “Under our changing climate, we can predict that the frequency and severity of such periods of drought and water scarcity will intensify, with increasing competition for a dwindling resource and devastating impacts on aquatic life.” The Met Office said on Thursday that the heatwave and dry weather showed no sign of abating, with little rain forecast for next week and temperatures that could rise into the mid-30s. The head of the Met Office, Steve Willington, said: “Many areas of the UK, especially in the south, will see temperatures several degrees above average, but these values are likely to be well below the record temperatures we saw in in the middle of July. “As high pressure builds, there is very little meaningful rainfall in the forecast, especially in those areas in southern England, which have experienced very dry conditions over the past month.” Even when the source of the Thames shifts during dry weather, Thames Water has not implemented restrictions on water use, such as banning pipes. Instead, it asks users to be judicious with their tap water by doing things like turning off the tap while brushing their teeth. Government sources revealed on Wednesday that they were disappointed that water companies did not impose a pipe ban. Thames Water has warned that a ban could be imposed. The supplier launched the first stage of its “drought plan” in May, but warned that the next phase would be to implement a temporary ban on use, including pipes. A spokesman said: “The timing will depend on the amount of water our customers use, which determines how quickly reservoir storage is depleted, and the amount of flow in the rivers, which determines how much water we can get to we refill them. “ Collins said water needs to be used more efficiently in homes and businesses, implementing national metering and reducing leaks in our supply networks. He added: “Implementing nature-based solutions that retain water – storing it and slowly releasing it into rivers when they need it most – [means] we can become more resilient to this changing climate by ensuring an adequate future supply of water for both people and wildlife.” Thames Water came under fire on Wednesday for allegedly putting mothballs into a £250 million desalination plant it started 12 years ago to boost drinking supplies during long dry spells. Thames Water’s plant in Beckton, east London, opened in 2010 with plans to supply up to 1 million people in an emergency, but that ambition has been scaled back amid doubts about when the facility might start operating. Despite July’s heatwave and the driest eight-month stretch since 1976, the Beckton plant won’t start providing potable water until next year. Statistics from the Met Office showed that July this year was the driest July for England since 1935 and the driest July on record for the East of England, the South East and the South of England. The UK Center for Ecology and Hydrology has shown how much of the country is at risk of drought. East Anglia and Kent show the most severe category, ‘extremely dry’, and the Home Counties and Devon are ranked as ‘very dry’. Cornwall, central England, north Wales, eastern Scotland and parts of the north-east have had a “moderately dry” six months, but that could change if below-average rainfall continues. This week, South East Water announced that Kent and Sussex will be banned from August 12 until further notice, with a £1,000 fine for those who break the rules. Last week, Southern Water said Hampshire and the Isle of Wight would be subject to similar measures from Friday.
