Lundy island, down to record-low water supplies, weighs evacuation unless rain comes

Mixed · 2Lundy, a puffin-rich island in the Bristol Channel off the north Devon coast, is close to being evacuated because its water supplies have dropped to the lowest levels ever recorded. 1 2 Centre · 1Derek Green, Lundy's managing director, said there had been no significant rainfall since April and that the island had seen barely 20% of the typical 1.5m (4.92ft) of rain expected by this time of year. 1 Mixed · 2Reservoir levels fell to 13% at their lowest, forcing emergency shipments of water from the mainland to the 28 people who live on the island. 1 2

Mixed · 2The island, owned by the National Trust and managed by the Landmark Trust, relies on rainwater and boreholes drilled into the granite, and is now pumping water from ponds used by wildlife to a treatment works as a "last resort". That has lifted the reservoir to 23.7% full. 1 2 Mixed · 2Green said evacuating the animals and people and cancelling all holiday bookings would be unprecedented in Lundy's history, adding: "we're on the cusp of having to make that decision." He said the island faced "real jeopardy" unless it rains very soon. 1 2 Mixed · 2Shipments by the passenger ferry MS Oldenburg (spelled Oldenberg by the BBC) began in August. The first delivery, of about 67,000 litres, was the biggest and cost about £7,000. Since then 4,000 litres have been shipped three times a week, while islanders use 9,000 to 11,000 litres a day. 1 2

Centre · 1The BBC reported that the seasonal ferry is due to stop shipping water later this month, and that pond levels have started to fall. It also said BBC meteorologist David Braine expects some rain, but that it would take weeks to replenish groundwater and reservoirs. 1 Mixed · 2Restrictions apply to residents and visitors. Bath plugs have been removed so tourists are not tempted to bathe. The Tavern pub has closed its toilets, and visitors are sent to back-shed toilets that are not on the mains supply and are filled with pond water. Island manager Matt Scantlebury said people shower over buckets and reuse the water to flush toilets. 1 2 Mixed · 2Delivery is difficult: tanks are offloaded from the ship to a staging post halfway up the hill, and water is pumped by fire hose past a section of track closed by a June landslip. Only a granite track and a handful of vehicles are available. 1 2

Mixed · 2Islanders link the shortage to climate change. The BBC reported that Green has worked on Lundy since 2004, said shortages have become more frequent, and said the island also considered closing in September last year when reservoirs hit 33%. The summer followed record late-winter rainfall that had filled most reservoirs by March. Green said forecasters predict an even warmer next year and that the island must enlarge its reservoir and use less water over winter. 1 2