England is facing the most severe water shortage in over a decade, with reservoir levels across the country dropping to historic lows, prompting urgent calls from experts for immediate water use restrictions.
New data shows that in June, reservoirs nationwide were only 76% full, even lower than during the severe drought of 2022, when levels stood at 77% for the same time of year. The rapid decline is being blamed on a combination of the driest spring in 69 years, England’s warmest June on record, and soaring demand driven by prolonged hot weather.
Several regions are already taking action. Yorkshire Water imposed hosepipe restrictions this week following its driest spring in 132 years, while South East Water announced similar bans affecting more than a million people in Kent and Sussex. Thames Water has confirmed a Temporary Use Ban beginning Tuesday, 22 July for large parts of the Thames Valley.
Internal sources at the government’s national drought group told The Guardian that water companies have been reluctant to act quickly due to fears of damaging customer satisfaction scores, which influence regulatory performance evaluations. The group has warned that many companies are “waiting until the very last moment” to implement bans, despite the environmental risks posed by low river levels and increased water abstraction.
New data shows that in June, reservoirs nationwide were only 76% full, even lower than during the severe drought of 2022, when levels stood at 77% for the same time of year
The Environment Agency has escalated preparations for dry weather and is advising Environment Secretary Steve Reed on whether current water company drought plans are sufficient. Officials have stressed that hosepipe bans must precede any permissions for increased river water extraction to ensure there is time for meaningful demand reduction.
While southern areas reliant on chalk aquifers have fared slightly better due to a wet autumn and winter in 2024–25, regions in the Midlands and North, where water supply depends heavily on reservoirs, are in a far more precarious position. Reservoir levels in those areas have plummeted over the past month: Severn Trent dropped from 83.5% in late May to 71.1% by the end of June, while United Utilities has seen levels fall to just 65% compared to 84.5% at the same point last year.
In Yorkshire, the situation is even more severe, with reservoir capacity at just 55.8%, more than 25% below the seasonal norm.
Groundwater reserves, once a buffer, are also under strain. According to the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, groundwater levels are expected to remain “normal to below normal” across most of the country, with “notably or exceptionally low levels” persisting in some areas into July.
Despite repeated warnings in recent years, no major reservoirs have been constructed in England since 1992, shortly after the privatisation of the water sector. Although the government and water companies announced plans in 2024 to build nine new reservoirs by 2050, critics warn that these proposals will come too late to address the current crisis.
