Overview
- The Government declared parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex in severe drought on Thursday to allow emergency steps to protect supplies.
- Two major reservoirs at the centre of the action are Ardingly, at about 19% capacity and serving roughly 95,000 properties, and Wimbleball, at about 16% and supplying around 300,000 customers.
- The Environment Agency has granted drought permits to reduce daily reservoir releases and ordered daily monitoring of reservoir and river levels plus tougher checks on businesses that abstract water.
- Officials say household supplies are currently uninterrupted but water firms have new powers and Local Resilience Forums and emergency planning teams are on standby to use measures such as non-essential use bans, lower mains pressure or local distribution if needed.
- The declaration follows the driest April–September in over a century for the south, highlights links to recurring heatwaves and climate change, and comes as ministers push a long-term package of reforms and investment including a strengthened Water Bill and plans for new reservoirs.