A severe drought has been declared across parts of six English counties, with the Government activating new measures to protect household water supplies. The warning affects parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex following months of unusually dry weather.
Driest period in over a century
According to the Government, the South East and South West experienced their driest April to September in more than 100 years, leaving reservoir levels dangerously low. Ministers have now stepped in, ordering water companies to increase monitoring and take further action to prevent supplies from being disrupted.
The new measures include daily checks on reservoir and river levels, alongside tougher monitoring of water quality. The Environment Agency will also carry out more checks on businesses taking water from rivers and other natural sources to make sure they are not exceeding permitted limits.
Coordination and support
Local Resilience Forums are being brought into action so support can be organised quickly if the situation gets worse. Despite the severe drought declaration, the Government has said household water supplies will remain uninterrupted for now.
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: "This level of drought is something we have not experienced for decades, so this government is stepping up our support and planning." She added that ministers were working closely with water companies to protect supplies and urged people to use water carefully over the coming weeks.
Prioritising public supplies
Water Minister Emma Hardy has also instructed the Environment Agency to prioritise public water supplies in affected areas where difficult decisions need to be made. This could allow water companies to keep more water in depleted reservoirs to help protect supplies.
Environment Agency chief executive Philip Duffy warned that record-breaking summer heat had put water resources under enormous pressure. He said: "Recovery depends on both rainfall and how much water we use. We cannot change the weather, but water companies can act now."
The announcement follows another meeting of the National Drought Group, which has been coordinating the response to the dry conditions since August. Households are being encouraged to reduce unnecessary water use while the authorities work to prevent further disruption. The Government said the measures are being introduced now to safeguard supplies before more serious problems develop.
