- Environment Agency moves to drought status for South East Water’s area of supply in Sussex
- Status reflects South East Water’s public water supply concerns
- Public urged to help with efforts to boost supplies by using water wisely
Drought has been declared in Sussex for the area supplied by South East Water due to declining water levels at Ardingly Reservoir.
The Environment Agency has changed the status of the areas around Haywards Heath and Eastbourne to drought today (10 October 2025). Hampshire, Isle of Wight, and the rest of Sussex and Surrey remain in prolonged dry weather status.
Each drought is different, and they can be classed as environmental, agricultural, or public water supply drought. The move in parts of Sussex is because the hot and dry weather has impacted availability of supplies, and further action is required to conserve them.
Moving to drought status means the Environment Agency and water companies will continue implementing the steps of their pre-agreed drought plans to manage the impacts.
The change in status reflects the decline in water levels at Ardingly Reservoir, near Haywards Heath, and South East Water’s drought order application today to help conserve the reservoir’s remaining water.
Ardingly Reservoir’s water level has rapidly dropped since June and is currently at 27.6% total capacity. The low reservoir level has been driven by the combination of a dry spring and early summer and higher temperatures associated with climate warming, which has driven very high demands.
Defra and the Secretary of State will determine the drought order application and the Environment Agency, as a regulator, will provide technical advice assessing the needs of the people and the environment.
The Environment Agency is working closely with South East Water to ensure it is delivering appropriate actions within its drought plan. Exemptions have been removed from the company’s hosepipe ban which will remain in place until water supply is secured. All customers are urged to continue following water-saving advice.
This part of Sussex adds to other areas that entered drought status earlier this year – Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire, Greater Manchester Merseyside and Cheshire, East Midlands, and the West Midlands. Some parts of the country have seen an improvement or stabilisation in the water resources following the wet September, but experts have warned it will take a wet autumn and winter to reverse the impacts of several continuous months of below average rainfall. It can take a long time for rainfall to fully replenish groundwaters, reservoirs and rivers; and the environment can take even longer to recover.
Richard O’Callaghan, Area Environment Manager at the Environment Agency said
Autumn and winter may feel like there is an excess of water at hand, but the climate is changing, and we must be sensible about water use all the time, not just some of the time. A few bursts of recent rainfall do not undo several dry months of cumulative impact.
It will take sustained rainfall to address prolonged dry weather and replenish reservoirs and rivers. Everyone can help speed that up by being sensible with their water use.
The Environment Agency continues to monitor river flows and is contacting those with licences to abstract water to reduce demand in line with their licences.
The National Drought Group – which includes the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, the National Farmers’ Union, Canal & River Trust, anglers, and conservation experts – continues to monitor the situation and will next meet on 30 October.
There are simple ways people can help save water, including taking shorter showers, using water from the kitchen to water plants, and fixing leaky toilets.