{
  "id": 636962,
  "title": "Droughts were predicted decades ago – yet water companies did nothing | Letter",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/droughts-were-predicted-decades-ago-yet-water-companies-did-nothing",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-11T16:57:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Business",
    "slug": "guardian-business",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/11/droughts-were-predicted-decades-ago-yet-water-companies-did-nothing"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Water boards in the south of England should have paid attention to scientific models and built reservoirs, writes Steve Lindsay , while Martin Gray suggests turning salt water into drinking water is the answer In 1998, I travelled to London for the release of the Meteorological Office’s first forecasts of the impact of climate change on the UK. I was encouraged to see in the audience many…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}