Drought Grips England and Wales Amid Water Company Scrutiny
Reservoir levels plummet as hosepipe bans spread and past water management practices face renewed public concern.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Carla Rooney
Half of England and all of Wales have plunged into drought conditions.
Wessex Water warns a hosepipe ban remains possible unless customers drastically reduce consumption; the company cites a 30% surge in water usage during drought conditions.
Thames Water and South West Water have already imposed hosepipe bans, impacting over 25 million people with immediate restrictions on water use.
The government granted two drought orders last summer, establishing a critical precedent.
Temperatures are set to reach 36C this week, further straining already depleted water resources.
A blaze in the New Forest has reportedly spread across more than 100 hectares of heathland; over 120 firefighters battle the extensive fire.
Amidst these conditions, a water leak has been reported on Church Lane in Braintree, Essex, exposing critical infrastructure vulnerabilities.
South West Water, having already implemented a hosepipe ban, reportedly confirmed no reduction in customer bills during this period.
This decision follows a 28% average bill increase for SWW customers last April.
In June, Exeter Magistrates’ Court fined South West Water almost £2 million for supplying water unfit for human consumption after a parasitic outbreak in Devon.
The court heard there were 537 probable or confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis, resulting in at least 10 hospital admissions.
Data from March showed South West Water was responsible for 46,164 sewage spills in 2025, lasting 407,006 hours, the highest of any water firm in England.
Untreated sewage was reportedly discharged onto Harlyn beach on 231 occasions between January 2016 and July 2021.
South West Water claims that reservoirs sold were service reservoirs, not holding reservoirs, and that building new holding reservoirs incurs significant ecological costs.