Some 280,000 people 'could be without water this winter' after summer drought

Published: 01:44 BST, 12 October 2026 | Updated: 01:46 BST, 12 October 2026

Hundreds of thousands of people may be left without water this winter following a record-breaking dry spring and summer.

Ardingly Reservoir, which serves 280,000 residents in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, and surrounding areas in East Sussex, has fallen from 22.8 per cent full a week ago to just 20.2 per cent.

Concerns around the water supply grew last month when rainfall was more than 80 per cent lower than average in some areas.

John Halsall, chief executive of South East Water, said supplies in the region are now under 'severe pressure' and standpipes may appear on British streets for the first time in 50 years.

Mr Halsall also ended exemptions to a months-long hosepipe ban in Sussex – with the rules expected to be in place until next year.

However, he admitted his company's efforts to persuade customers to use less water had not been as successful as hoped – with water demand falling by around 5 per cent rather than around 10 per cent as expected.

Mr Halsall also recognised outages in Tunbridge Wells and other towns and villages had undermined customer confidence.

Ardingly Reservoir (pictured), which serves 280,000 residents in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, and surrounding areas in East Sussex, has fallen from 22.8 per cent full a week ago to just 20.2 per cent

He told The Times: 'We have lost trust because our performance hasn't been good enough.

'One challenge is a recent increase in burst pipes. The exceptionally dry spring and summer has caused ground to dry out, which leads to more movement underground and pipes leaking.

'It's a double whammy for us because just as we're trying to convince customers that we're taking this seriously, that we're doing our bit, they see all of these visible leaks springing out.'

Mr Halsall said he could not promise Tunbridge Wells and other areas would avoid water outages in the winter.

Last year, Ardingly reservoir encountered similar challenges but was helped by a higher level of rainfall.

South East Water said it is considering an upgrade of water treatment works, with more water sent upstream into Ardingly reservoir's source, the river Ouse.

Across the country, storage levels in reservoirs are around 54 per cent – roughly a fifth below average for this time of year.

According to research by the Environment Agency, 20 per cent more rainfall than average is needed until the end of April for all parts of England to emerge from drought status.