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Severe drought declared in six southern English counties

Summarised from 6 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 13:15 · Archive

Severe drought has been declared in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex, the government announced following a meeting of the National Drought Group to assess water availability and drought conditions across England.

The declaration follows a record-breaking summer of extreme temperatures and the driest April to September period for over a century in the South East and South West. Rainfall was scarce over the summer, with light spells of rain over October failing to recoup losses built up over five heatwave periods between May and September.

The Environment Agency says severe drought is the most critical stage of dry conditions. The agency states that 'the lack of water begins to disrupt daily life and the environment in major ways' and that it 'can have lasting effects on the environment, farming, people, communities, and the economy'.

Water levels in major reservoirs have fallen significantly below expected levels for the season. Wimbleball Reservoir in Exmoor is just 14.9 per cent full and serves some 300,000 properties across east Devon, north Devon, Somerset, west Dorset and West Somerset. Several other major reservoirs across the South West are also running low: Roadford in Devon at 36.8 per cent capacity, Burrator at 33.6 per cent, Colliford in Cornwall at 35 per cent and Stithians at 21.9 per cent. Ardingly reservoir in West Sussex fell from 22.8 per cent full a week prior to 20.2 per cent and serves 280,000 residents in Haywards Heath and surrounding areas.

John Halsall, chief executive of South East Water, said supplies in the region are now under 'severe pressure' and warned that standpipes may appear on British streets for the first time in 50 years. He ended exemptions to a months-long hosepipe ban in Sussex, with the rules expected to be in place until next year. However, he acknowledged his company's efforts to persuade customers to use less water had not been as successful as hoped, with water demand falling by about five per cent rather than the expected ten per cent.

Water companies have been told to conduct daily monitoring of reservoir and river levels and implement tougher water quality monitoring. The Environment Agency will increase compliance checks on businesses that abstract water to ensure they are only taking permitted amounts. The Environment Agency has also been told to prioritise protecting public water supplies in severely affected areas where there are unavoidable trade-offs with environmental rules, allowing water companies to keep more water in depleted reservoirs.

Environment Agency chief executive Philip Duffy said: 'Record-breaking summer heat and severe drought have put our water resources under immense pressure. Recovery depends on both rainfall and how much water we use. We cannot change the weather, but water companies can act now. We expect them to follow their drought plans and take the steps needed to secure public water supplies. We are also asking everyone to use less water.' The government has reassured the public that household water supplies will not be interrupted, though people are being urged to use water wisely. Last week, drought conditions were also declared in Yorkshire due to low water levels in reservoirs and rivers.

Severe drought declared in six southern English counties
Image: The Mirror

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How it is being reported

In this story: Cornwall · Devon · Dorset · Somerset · East Sussex · West Sussex · Environment Agency · South East Water

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem