A severe drought declaration has been issued for six areas across England, encompassing parts of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex. The declaration follows the UK’s hottest summer on record and comes as multiple reservoirs have fallen to critically low levels, creating concerns about the adequacy of public water supplies in affected regions.
Two reservoirs have reached particularly concerning levels. Ardingly reservoir, which serves approximately 95,000 properties in areas including Haywards Heath and Uckfield, stands at only 19% capacity. Wimbleball reservoir, supplying customers across East Devon, North Devon, Somerset, West Dorset and West Somerset, is at 16% storage. The Environment Agency would typically expect reservoir storage to reach approximately 75% at this time of year. Additional concerns exist regarding several smaller reservoirs in Devon and Cornwall that serve tens of thousands of households each.
The drought has been attributed to the driest April to September period in more than a century across the south-east and south-west of England, driven by climate-related factors. Three water companies have requested approval from the environment secretary to extend water use restrictions to non-essential commercial users such as golf clubs and commercial car washes, though formal approval has not yet been announced. Environment Secretary Angela Eagle stated that the government is intensifying support and coordination efforts, while Water Minister Emma Hardy directed the Environment Agency to prioritize public water supply protection where necessary trade-offs with environmental regulations arise.
The National Drought Group has implemented enhanced monitoring protocols, including daily tracking of reservoir and river levels and heightened water quality monitoring due to reduced dilution capacity for sewage. Businesses that extract water will face increased compliance inspections. Environment Agency leadership emphasized that water companies must implement their drought response plans while urging the public to reduce water consumption to preserve river levels and protect environmental conditions supporting agriculture and wildlife.
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