Severe drought declared in parts of six English counties as reservoirs run low
Parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex are in severe drought. Officials are stepping up monitoring as water companies seek further restrictions on business use.
Severe drought was declared on 15 October in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex, as critically low reservoirs put pressure on public water supplies. The declaration brings closer monitoring and efforts to protect supplies before customers face disruption.
The South East and South West had their driest April-to-September period in more than a century, according to officials cited by the Guardian and PA Media. The government said customers’ water supplies would remain uninterrupted and described the declaration as a prompt for safeguards ahead of any disruption.
How low are Ardingly and Wimbleball reservoirs?
Ardingly reservoir in West Sussex was 19% full, the two reports said. It serves about 95,000 properties, making its level a direct concern for households that depend on the supply. Wimbleball reservoir in Somerset was 16% full; the Environment Agency would expect reservoir storage of about 75% at this point in the year, according to the reports.
The Guardian also identified smaller reservoirs serving homes in Devon and Cornwall as a concern: Drift and Stithians in Cornwall, and the Tottiford and Venford group in Devon. Those locations show why officials are watching supplies beyond the two reservoirs with the reported percentage figures.
What officials and water companies are doing
Water companies have been told to monitor reservoir and river levels daily, PA Media reported. The Guardian described the government and Environment Agency as moving to daily monitoring. The reports also describe heightened water-quality monitoring and increased checks on businesses that abstract water.
South East Water, South West Water and Southern Water have sought restrictions on non-essential business water use, the Guardian reported. Approval of those requests had not been announced in its report, so the proposed restrictions should be distinguished from measures already being taken.
Environment Agency chief executive Philip Duffy urged water companies to follow their drought plans and asked the public to use less water, according to both reports. The appeal applies while officials work to preserve supplies and monitor the environmental effects of low water levels.
The pressure extends beyond the six counties newly placed in severe drought. PA Media reported that Yorkshire had received a drought declaration the previous week, while the North West and North East remained at prolonged dry-weather status. Those classifications describe separate regional conditions rather than an expansion of the six-county declaration.
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Sources and context
- Severe drought declared in six areas of England as public water supplies under threatThe Guardian
- Parts of England in severe drought as water supplies ‘under immense pressure’Evening Standard (PA Wire byline/credit)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.