Why Water Supplies Are A Bigger Concern In The South
The very dry spring and summer have led to declarations of drought across several regions of the UK. This was not just the case in the south, which should come as no surprise: Apart from the western half of Scotland and the far north-west of England, no areas of any significant size had above-average summer rainfall and most had considerably less.
Across the south of England, Kent and Surrey were among the few exceptions to the general rule of drier conditions and these are not upland areas that commonly experience high rainfall, unlike the Lake District and the Highlands.
Some might suggest that the spring and summer of 2025 are exceptional, not least as they were a lot drier than the equivalent periods in 2024. Against that, it can’t be ignored that it was the hottest summer on record in the UK, with the top five all in the 21st century.
For these reasons, an overall assessment is not entirely simple, but there are long-term patterns to note. Water companies will need to act, especially in areas likely to face more droughts in the future. If you are a customer, you might ask just what they are doing and, if the answers are unsatisfactory, use our service to change water supplier.
Alarm Sounded At Ardingly.
The first few weeks of autumn may give a clearer picture of where the biggest problems lie. South East Water has warned that one reservoir, Ardingly, in West Sussex, has just six weeks’ worth of water left, despite an increase in rainfall in September. The reservoir supplies the Haywards Heath area.
By contrast, the September rains have been very heavy further north and west, where the high moors and mountains have had lots of precipitation, far above the average for the month.
For example, Yorkshire Water, which currently has a hosepipe ban in place, reported that its reservoirs saw the largest one-week rise in water levels in 30 years in the seven days to September 23rd, increasing supplies by 14.8 per cent to 45.6 per cent.
This good news did come with the caveat that water levels are usually much higher at this time of year, the average being 69.6 per cent, but, assuming a reasonably wet October, there should be few problems as winter approaches.
Director of water services at Yorkshire Water, David Kaye, expressed optimism that the recovery of water levels will continue over the rest of this year to leave the reservoirs in a good place going into 2026.
Whether his counterparts further south can be so upbeat is another matter, either over the next few months or in the longer run.
Long Term Projections.
Those long-term projections suggest that water companies further south will need to do more to secure their supplies for business and domestic customers.
This can be seen by the fact that there has been an acknowledgement by most of these firms that much needs to be done.
For example, Anglian Water has plans in place for two reservoirs, one in Lincolnshire and other in the Fens, as part of its response to the twin challenges of climate change in what is already the driest part of the UK and projected population increases across the region.
The government is currently backing plans for nine new reservoirs, making the point before last year’s general election that no new reservoirs had been built in the UK for 30 years. While true, some, such as the two planned Anglian reservoirs, were already in the pipeline and another, Havant Thickett Reservoir, was just weeks away from the start of construction.
Nonetheless, the government has sought to make clear its commitment to getting all the new reservoirs from whatever stage of planning or shovel-readiness they were at to full operation.
What may be particularly notable is their locations, all being in the Midlands, East of England, or the south.
A 20-Year Wait For Sussex.
Perhaps ironically, the announcement, published in May this year, featured a picture of Ardingly Reservoir. Its worryingly low levels epitomise the risks that lie ahead without action. The good news for Sussex is that one of the planned new reservoirs is to be located in the valley of the River Adur.
However, this particular reservoir is not due to be operational until 2045, which means customers will, quite reasonably, be asking their water provider what they are doing about preserving supplies in drought situations during the next 20 years.
Such concerns may not – at least yet – be so pressing in the north. But for those whose businesses lie in the increasingly drought-prone south, back-up plans and future-proofing will be an essential element of the service water providers can offer.