Six areas across England have been placed under severe drought status following extremely dry conditions over the past several months. The affected regions include parts of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex. The declarations come after the UK experienced its hottest summer on record, with the south-east and south-west experiencing their driest April-to-September period in more than a century.
Reservoir levels have dropped to concerning thresholds across the affected areas. Two reservoirs have reached critically low storage levels: Ardingly reservoir, which serves approximately 95,000 properties in the Haywards Heath and Uckfield areas, is at only 19% capacity, while Wimbleball reservoir serving South West Water and Wessex Water customers across multiple counties stands at 16%. The Environment Agency typically expects reservoirs to maintain around 75% storage at this time of year. Additional concerns have been raised regarding smaller South West Water reservoirs in Devon and Cornwall that collectively supply over 100,000 households.
Water companies have requested approval to implement non-essential use bans affecting businesses such as golf clubs, commercial car washes, and private schools. Environment Secretary Angela Eagle convened the National Drought Group to coordinate response efforts but has not yet approved these restrictions. Water Minister Emma Hardy directed the Environment Agency to prioritize public water supplies while managing potential environmental impacts.
Government officials announced heightened monitoring protocols, including daily tracking of reservoir and river levels and enhanced water quality assessments due to reduced sewage dilution. Increased compliance checks will be conducted on businesses that extract water. Officials have urged the public to reduce water consumption voluntarily. Environment Agency leadership emphasized that water companies must implement their existing drought management plans to secure public supplies while conservation measures help preserve river ecosystems and protect agricultural and wildlife interests.
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