Claims extracted
21
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
5%
1 of 21 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
66/100
The Guardian's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
4
Environment
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
A severe drought has been declared in six areas of England with some reservoirs at critically low levels, threatening public supplies.
asserted
reservoirs → declare → supplies
Parts of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex have moved into severe drought, and urgent measures are being taken to secure public supplies of water after the UK experienced its hottest summer on record.
asserted
UK → move → record
Despite the crisis, the environment secretary Angela Eagle has yet to approve requests from three water companies, two in areas now in severe drought, to extend restrictions on water use to businesses such as golf clubs and commercial car washes.
asserted
secretary → have → clubs
Emma Hardy, the water minister, indicated on Thursday that the environment could suffer in the ongoing drought.
uncertain
environment → indicate → drought
Hardy instructed the Environment Agency to prioritise protecting public water supplies in areas affected by severe drought where there is an unavoidable trade-off between environmental rules and water supplies.
asserted
Hardy → instruct → rules
After a meeting of the national drought group, Eagle, said: “This level of drought is something we have not experienced for decades, so this government is stepping up our support and planning.
“
asserted
government → say → support
We are working closely with water companies to protect public supplies in the areas affected, and I’d continue to urge everyone to think about how they can use water wisely over the coming weeks.”
asserted
they → work → weeks
South East Water, South West Water and Southern Water want to impose non-essential user bans on businesses to protect supplies.
asserted
Water → want → supplies
This would affect golf clubs, private schools and commercial properties.
asserted
This → affect → clubs
But while Eagle called on water companies to step up their drought planning, she did not announce approval for the non-essential user bans.
asserted
she → call → bans
The south-east and south-west of England have experienced their driest April to September in more than a century, fuelled by the climate crisis, affecting reservoir levels in those areas.
asserted
east → experience → areas
Ardingly reservoir, which serves about 95,000 properties in Haywards Heath, Uckfield and surrounding areas, is only 19% full.
asserted
which → serve → Heath
Storage at Wimbleball, which supplies South West Water customers in East Devon, North Devon, Somerset and West Dorset and Wessex Water customers in West Somerset, is at 16%.
asserted
which → supply → %
The Environment Agency would expect reservoir storage to be about 75% for this time of year.
asserted
storage → expect → year
There are also concerns for several smaller South West Water reservoirs serving homes in Devon and Cornwall; these include Drift and Stithians which supply 56,000 households in Cornwall, and the Tottiford and Venford group which supplies 47,000 households in Devon.
asserted
which → be → Devon
The National Drought Group said the government and the Environment Agency would move to daily monitoring of reservoir and river levels and run heightened water quality monitoring because of the lower dilution levels of sewage, raising the risks for water quality and environmental pollution.
asserted
government → say → quality
Businesses that abstract water will be put through more compliance checks to make sure they are taking only what they are allowed.
asserted
they → abstract → what
Philip Duffy, the chief executive of the EA, said: “We cannot change the weather, but water companies can act now.
asserted
companies → say → weather
We expect them to follow their drought plans and take the steps needed to secure public water supplies.
asserted
them → expect → supplies
“We are also asking everyone to use less water.
asserted
We → ask → water
That will leave more in our rivers and the environment, helping farmers and protecting wildlife and nature.”
asserted
That → leave → wildlife
The Aporia
