The government has declared severe drought for parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex.
The Environment Agency (EA) have told water companies to step up drought planning as Labour have taken up measures to protect customer supplies in affected areas.
The plans include water companies conducting daily monitoring of reservoirs and river levels, the EA increasing compliance checks on businesses withdrawing water from natural sources and Local Resilience Forums stood up to enable quick and effective development of support.
Philip Duffy, Environment Agency Chief Executive, said: “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. That will leave more in our rivers and the environment, helping farmers and protecting wildlife and nature.”
The South East and South West have experienced their driest April to September in over a century, impacting reservoir levels in that area.
Copyright © 2026 Energy Live News LtdELN