Millions of residents across England are currently subject to hosepipe bans as part of efforts to reduce water consumption amid ongoing dry conditions. However, government emergency planning documents indicate that more severe water restrictions could be implemented in the future if heatwaves and droughts persist.
The UK’s National Risk Assessment highlights a plausible scenario in which three consecutive years of extreme dry weather lead to widespread severe drought in southern and eastern England. Under such circumstances, public water supply restrictions could extend beyond existing measures, potentially including water rationing for households and businesses.
The document also warns of broader consequences resulting from prolonged drought. Reduced water availability would increase the risk of wildfires and complicate firefighting efforts due to limited water resources. Critical infrastructure such as transportation networks, hospitals, telecommunications, and emergency services could be disrupted by restricted water supplies or outages. Data centers, which depend heavily on water for cooling servers, may also face operational challenges.
Additionally, the assessment raises concerns about potential social impacts. It notes that significant changes in public behavior, including the possibility of localized civil unrest, could arise as a result of water shortages.
Water rationing is not unprecedented. In 2024, Sicily experienced a severe drought leading to a state of emergency and stringent water restrictions affecting nearly a million people. Residents of cities like Caltanissetta endured periods without running water lasting up to two months, with some neighborhoods receiving water for only a few hours weekly or biweekly. Reliance on tanker supplies increased, and an Italian navy vessel delivered 12 million liters of water to the most affected populations.
Historical droughts in Italy have also forced water rationing in several regions. In 2017, the capital, Rome, faced daily interruptions of water supply following a halt in pumping from a nearby lake. More recently, in 2022, northern Italy and the Po Valley recorded their worst drought in seven decades, prompting over 100 towns to impose water restrictions.
Similar interventions have been implemented internationally. Cape Town, South Africa, confronted a severe drought from 2015 to 2018, when authorities introduced stringent water-saving measures to avoid a “Day Zero” scenario, in which household taps would be turned off. These included reduced water pressure, increased tariffs, and automatic shut-off devices for homes exceeding daily water limits.
In Spain, the town of Vacarisses near Barcelona restricted running water to just eight hours daily during drought conditions in 2022.
As these examples demonstrate, intensified water scarcity poses significant challenges to communities and essential services. The UK government’s planning documents underscore the importance of preparing for possible escalations in water curtailment measures amid climate-related risks.