CONCERNS are being raised about the possibility of the River Mimram, which flows through Whitwell, running dry.

The Friends of the Mimram group have organised a meeting to discuss the issue, and have drafted in an expert from Affinity Water, which uses the river to provide household water.

Affinity Water has two pumping stations in Hertfordshire and the Friends Of the Mimram say it is taking 25 million litres of water every day.

They want to see this figure reduced to preserve the river and prevent it from running dry, and hope Affinity Water will outline its intentions to do so at the meeting on Wednesday.

David Cheek, from the Friends of the Mimram, said: “We have been lobbying for about 10 years now to protect the Mimram, because the amount being taken out of it at the moment is too much for the health of the river. People are concerned that the river is drying up. They want it to look nice.

“Affinity Water wants to reduce the amount of water they are taking from the Mimram and the purpose of the meeting is to hear how they are planning to reduce what they are taking and what the implications are.

“The licence they have for using water from the Mimram was given out in the 1960s and it’s dated. We need a review to see how they are going to provide water for the next 25 years with an increasing amount of homes being built in Hertfordshire.”

The meeting on Wednesday will take place at Tewin Pavillion, Tewin, at 7.30pm. It is open to anyone.

A spokesman for Affinity Water said: “Rob Sage, an asset specialist at Affinity Water, will be making a presentation on our water resources management plan and the potential impact on abstraction in the Mimram Valley at the Friends of the Mimram open meeting.”