The United Kingdom has declared a severe drought across six regions in England—parts of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, and East and West Sussex—as multiple reservoirs have dropped to concerning levels following the nation’s hottest summer on record.
The south-east and south-west portions of England have experienced their driest April to September period in over a century, with certain reservoirs approaching critical thresholds. Ardingly reservoir, which provides water to approximately 95,000 properties in areas including Haywards Heath and Uckfield, currently sits at only 19% capacity. Wimbleball reservoir, serving customers across East Devon, North Devon, Somerset, and West Dorset, has fallen to 16% capacity. The Environment Agency typically expects reservoir storage levels to reach approximately 75% at this time of year. Additional concerns exist regarding smaller South West Water reservoirs in Devon and Cornwall, including Drift and Stithians, which collectively serve 56,000 households in Cornwall, and the Tottiford and Venford reservoirs serving 47,000 Devon households.
Three water companies—South East Water, South West Water, and Southern Water—have requested approval from the environment secretary to extend water use restrictions to non-essential business users, including golf clubs, private schools, and commercial car washes. However, the environment secretary has not yet authorized these restrictions. The water minister instructed the Environment Agency to prioritize protecting public supplies in severely affected areas when trade-offs between environmental protections and water availability arise.
The National Drought Group indicated that monitoring protocols would be intensified, with daily tracking of reservoir and river levels and enhanced water quality surveillance due to reduced sewage dilution capacity. Businesses that extract water will face increased compliance verification. Officials emphasized the importance of public conservation efforts and urged water companies to implement their established drought management strategies to maintain adequate supplies and protect environmental conditions.
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