South East Water is exploring a range of severe drought contingency measures, including the potential importation of drinking water from Norway, as supplies in parts of southeast England face critical shortages. The water company, serving approximately 280,000 residents, may reach an emergency Level Four drought status when the Ardingly reservoir in West Sussex, currently at just 19 percent capacity, approaches depletion. This situation follows the region’s hottest summer on record.

Among the extreme proposals outlined in South East Water’s drought plan are importing potable water via sea tankers from overseas, with Norway cited as a potential source. While no water company in the UK has yet imported drinking water internationally, similar concepts have been considered by Southern Water in previous drought scenarios. Additional measures include deploying standpipes on streets—a method last used during the 1976 drought—and installing containerized desalination plants to convert seawater into potable water.

Nick Price, South East Water’s head of water resources, emphasized that importing water from Norway remains a last-resort option and is not currently being pursued. He highlighted ongoing efforts to manage the crisis, including increased leak detection and repair, network adjustments, and reducing water discharged from the Ardingly reservoir. The company has also sought permission to prolong existing hosepipe bans to conserve water.

With reservoir levels critically low, South East Water is under pressure to balance immediate demand with long-term resource sustainability as the region faces unprecedented drought conditions.