The Environment Agency have announced that parts of Devon and Cornwall, including our area, are now classed as being in a severe drought status.  Reservoir levels are dropping because water resources are being used faster that they are being replaced by rainfall.

Presently there is nothing more that is expected of consumers – we still have an active hosepipe ban in place and we should be using our water resources carefully.

When a severe drought status has been declared, it ensures that water companies are able to take proactive steps to safeguard water before any disruption occurs.  Additionally, the following steps have been implemented.

Ministers are instructing water companies to conduct daily monitoring of reservoir and river levels and implement tougher water quality monitoring.   

The Environment Agency will increase compliance checks on businesses that withdraw water from natural sources to ensure they are only taking permitted quantities of water; and local Resilience Forums are enabled to ensure quick and effective development of support if required. 

Alongside these steps, the Water Minister Emma Hardy has instructed the Environment Agency to prioritise protecting public water supplies in areas affected by severe drought, where there is an unavoidable trade-off between environmental rules and water supplies. This means allowing water companies to keep more water in depleted reservoirs.

Scroll down to see the letter received from South West Water, and for links to further information.