Full Breakdown
Water Companies Seek Business Water Use Bans Amid England Drought
By Drooid · · How we work
Current Drought Conditions and Reservoir Levels
Eleven English regions remain in drought, with river flows at exceptionally low levels and groundwater declining. Reservoirs across England and Wales are markedly depleted: nineteen are under 50 % capacity, eight are classified as “exceptionally low,” up from five in August. The Met Office estimates that a sustained seven-month period of above-average rainfall would be required to lift the drought. In the south-west, Colliford reservoir on Bodmin Moor (serving 255,000 households) is 37 % full, holding 10.68 billion litres against a 28.5 billion-litre capacity. Wimbleball in Somerset (serving 390,000 people) is 18 % full, with 3.8 billion litres of a 21.3 billion-litre capacity. The Ardingly reservoir near Haywards Heath (serving 280,000 people) holds 1.05 billion litres of a 5.2 billion-litre capacity. Yorkshire entered drought status on 9 October, the most recent addition.
Official Responses from Water Firms and Stakeholders
South East Water, South West Water and Southern Water have applied to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for “non-essential use bans” that would restrict water use by golf clubs, private schools and commercial car washes. Southern Water also seeks a drought order permitting extraction from the River Test—an internationally prized chalk stream and salmon habitat—despite ecological safety thresholds, citing a “clear threat to supplies” in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Mark Owen, head of fisheries at the Angling Trust, supports tighter restrictions on non-essential water use and calls for urgent action to curb leakage and unsustainable river abstraction, noting the inconsistency of allowing household car washing while commercial washes continue.
Potential Impacts on Wildlife and Communities
Low river flows threaten fish spawning and overall river health, with species-rich catchments such as the River Derwent, the Yare, the Ely Ouse, the Tone and the Hampshire Avon already identified as experiencing “exceptionally low” flows. Continued abstraction without additional restrictions could prolong ecological recovery for years.
Next Steps and Government Decision
Defra’s approval is required for the proposed bans, but the government has not yet responded to the water companies’ applications. If granted, the bans would legally bar the identified businesses from using mains water for irrigation and car-wash operations, aiming to reduce demand while water supplies remain critically low.