Update: the driest April to September in over a century, and six counties now in severe drought
What happened
This is a follow-up to a story we have covered before, because something significant has changed. On 15 October 2026, the government declared severe drought in parts of England and activated a plan to protect consumers. Until now, the story had been about a dry summer, falling reservoir levels and a new taskforce. 'Severe drought' is a formal step up. The areas affected are parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex. The government has been clear on one point: customer water supplies will remain uninterrupted. This is not an announcement that taps are going to stop running. The reason is rainfall. The South East and South West had their driest April to September in over a century. Four things change as a result. Water companies have been told to check reservoir and river levels daily and to tighten their water quality testing. The Environment Agency will inspect businesses that take water from rivers and boreholes more often, to confirm they are staying within their permitted limits. Local Resilience Forums — the bodies that coordinate councils, emergency services and utilities — have been activated so support can be arranged quickly if needed. And the Environment Agency has been told to prioritise public water supplies over environmental rules where the two conflict, which in practice lets companies keep more water in depleted reservoirs. Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: 'This level of drought is something we have not experienced for decades.' Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy said: 'We cannot change the weather, but water companies can act now.'
Why this matters
Most drought news is about the weather. This announcement is mostly about plumbing, rules and who is allowed to take water out of a river. The practical change that matters most to households is the quality testing. When reservoir levels drop, the water that is left is more concentrated and can be harder to treat. That is why the instruction is not just 'measure the levels' but 'tighten the testing'. It is a sign that the system is being watched more closely, which is reassuring rather than alarming. The instruction to the Environment Agency about prioritising public supply over environmental rules is the most consequential line in the announcement, and the least comfortable. Rivers have legal protections that limit how much water can be taken out, because taking too much kills fish and damages habitats. Telling the regulator to put public supply first means accepting some environmental harm to keep reservoirs fuller. That is a real trade-off, openly stated, and it is the kind of decision droughts force. The tighter inspection of business water users matters too. Farms, food processors, golf courses, car washes and industrial sites all hold permits with limits. In a normal year, enforcement is lighter. In a severe drought, every litre taken over a limit is a litre that was meant to stay in the system. And there is the simple matter of fairness. Households are generally the ones asked to use less. It is reasonable to want to know that the people taking water commercially are being checked at the same time. This announcement says they are.
What the evidence actually says
Because this is a follow-up, the honest question is: how much has actually changed? The rainfall record is the solid part. The driest April to September in over a century, across both the South East and South West, is a measurement rather than a projection. That is why reservoir levels are where they are. The word 'severe' is a formal classification, not a description of how bad things feel. England's drought framework moves through stages, and each stage triggers specific actions by water companies and the regulator. The move to severe drought in these areas is best read as 'the pre-agreed next set of measures has been switched on', not as 'things have suddenly got much worse this week'. The dry conditions built up over six months. The reassurance about supplies deserves to be taken at face value but not over-read. 'Customer water supplies will remain uninterrupted' is a clear statement about the current position. It is not a guarantee about every scenario next spring if the winter is also dry. Reservoirs refill in winter, and whether these areas recover depends mostly on rain between now and March. The long-term figures in the announcement are investment plans rather than present facts. The government points to £104 billion for upgrading water infrastructure and nine new major reservoirs planned across the country. Reservoirs take many years to plan, approve and build. None of that helps this winter. Finally, Philip Duffy's quote is worth reading carefully: 'We cannot change the weather, but water companies can act now.' That is a regulator putting the responsibility on companies, in public. It is also an implicit acknowledgement that not everything that could have been done had been done.
Practical advice
If you live in the affected parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex or West Sussex, start by checking your own water company's website. Restrictions such as hosepipe bans are set by individual companies, not nationally, so what applies to you depends on who supplies you. Indoors is where the easy savings are, and they are mostly habits rather than purchases. Shorter showers make the biggest single difference. A dishwasher or washing machine run full uses less water per item than a half-empty one. Fixing a dripping tap or a leaking loo is worth more than it sounds — a running overflow can waste hundreds of litres a day, and many companies will help find and fix leaks free of charge. Most water companies offer free water-saving devices: shower timers, tap inserts, cistern bags. They cost you nothing and the companies would rather give them away than treat the extra water. One practical point for this time of year: autumn is when people stop thinking about water, because it is raining. But reservoirs refill over winter, so saving water now is not pointless. It is the opposite. If you have a water meter and you are worried about bills, or you use a lot of water for a medical reason, ask your supplier about their social tariff and about the Priority Services Register. The register is free, and it flags you for extra help if supply is ever disrupted. If you depend on water for dialysis, for a medical device, or for a condition that means you cannot manage without it, get on that register now rather than later. If you run a business that takes water under a permit, expect more frequent Environment Agency inspections and check your abstraction limits before someone else does.
What to know
The government has declared severe drought in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex, after the South East and South West recorded their driest April to September in over a century. Household supplies are not being interrupted. Water companies must now check reservoir and river levels daily and tighten water quality testing. The Environment Agency will inspect commercial water users more often, and has been told to put public water supply ahead of environmental rules where the two conflict — a real trade-off that accepts some harm to rivers to keep reservoirs fuller. Local Resilience Forums have been activated. Longer-term promises — £104 billion of infrastructure investment and nine new major reservoirs — are plans, not relief for this winter. Recovery depends on winter rainfall. Check your own supplier for restrictions, take the free water-saving devices they offer, and if you or someone in your household relies on water for health reasons, join the Priority Services Register. Note: we have reported on this year's drought before. This is a deliberate update, because the formal declaration of severe drought and the activation of the consumer protection plan are new developments rather than a restatement of the same story. Sources: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, 'Government activates plan to protect consumers as severe drought declared in parts of England', 15 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-activates-plan-to-protect-consumers-as-severe-drought-declared-in-parts-of-england; Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, 'New taskforce to boost Britain's resilience to flooding and drought', 11 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-taskforce-to-boost-britains-resilience-to-flooding-and-drought. This article is for general information and does not replace advice from your water company, your local authority or a qualified healthcare professional. If you depend on a reliable water supply for a medical reason, speak to your supplier and your healthcare team.
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