23/10/2026
The South West is facing a critical challenge. Months of exceptionally dry weather and the hottest summer on record have left water resources under significant pressure, with some of our reservoirs now at critically low levels. Recent rainfall has provided some welcome relief but falls short of what is needed to secure a sustained recovery.
Last week, the Environment Agency announced that areas of Devon and Cornwall are in Severe Drought. Our overriding priority is to protect drinking water supplies while carefully managing the resources available to us. That means taking every practical step to strengthen supplies, reduce water losses and make every litre go further.
We are taking a range of measures to manage the impact of the drought, particularly in areas where reservoir storage is under the greatest pressure. This includes moving around three million litres of water a day to where it is needed most, repairing an average of 440 leaks each week, supporting customers with leaky loo repairs, and working directly with businesses and households to help reduce consumption.
These measures demonstrate the scale of the action under way, but even these interventions cannot remove the need to reduce demand.
While we take action to protect supplies, we need every household and business to act now, not wait for further restrictions. Hosepipe restrictions have helped reduce demand, and we thank everyone who has supported them. But as we move further into autumn, outdoor restrictions alone cannot deliver the savings we need.
We're asking customers to make an immediate, meaningful reduction in the water they use. That means taking shorter showers, turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, running washing machines and dishwashers only when full, fixing leaking toilets and taps, and postponing water use that isn't essential.
Every litre saved makes a difference, and we cannot afford to wait for further restrictions before changing how we use water.
Read more ⬇️
🔗 https://www.southwestwater.co.uk/about-us/latest-news/protecting-the-regions-water-supplies-why-we-must-all-act-now