Severe drought conditions have been officially declared in six areas of southern England amid record low rainfall and critically low reservoir levels. The affected counties are Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex, and West Sussex. This marks the first time a severe drought status has been formally invoked in England, following the driest April-to-September period recorded in more than a century.
The announcement came after a meeting of the National Drought Group, which highlighted emergency conditions at key reservoirs. Ardingly reservoir in West Sussex, serving approximately 280,000 people in Haywards Heath, Uckfield, and surrounding areas, is currently at 19 percent capacity. Similarly, Wimbleball reservoir in Somerset, which supplies around 300,000 households in Devon, Somerset, and Dorset, has dropped to 16 percent full. The Environment Agency notes that these levels are well below the typical 75 percent expected at this time of year.
John Halsall, chief executive of South East Water, warned that if dry weather persists, Ardingly reservoir could reach "day zero"—a point where the reservoir runs completely dry—expected as early as December. In such a scenario, residents could face the introduction of street standpipes and scheduled water rationing for the first time since the 1976 heatwave.
The south-east and south-west regions of England have been particularly impacted by this drought, which has been intensified by the hottest summer on record. Water companies in the affected areas, including South East Water, South West Water, Southern Water, Thames Water, and Wessex Water, are stepping up drought planning efforts. Many have already imposed hosepipe bans, and there have been calls to extend water use restrictions to businesses such as golf clubs, private schools, and commercial car washes. However, these expanded non-essential use bans have not yet received approval from Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle.
Environment Minister Emma Hardy has directed the Environment Agency to prioritize protecting public water supplies where there may be unavoidable trade-offs between environmental regulations and water availability. This includes daily monitoring of reservoir and river levels and enhanced water quality checks, as lower water volumes reduce sewage dilution, raising pollution risks. Additionally, businesses authorized to abstract water will undergo increased compliance checks to ensure adherence to permitted limits.
Philip Duffy, chief executive of the Environment Agency, emphasized that while weather conditions cannot be changed, water companies must act decisively to follow their drought management plans. Officials are urging the public to conserve water to safeguard supplies, support farming communities, and protect wildlife and ecosystems affected by the drought.
The ongoing situation underscores growing concerns about the impact of climate change on water resources in England, highlighting the challenges of balancing public water needs with environmental preservation under increasingly extreme weather patterns.