The combination of factors experienced in 2025 have been extraordinary - from record demand to prolonged periods of dry weather and a significant lack of rainfall.
This means it has been necessary to apply for a couple of different Drought Orders to protect customer supplies.
Drought Orders are decided on by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and allow us to make changes to abstraction licences or have the ability to restrict water uses.
Drought Orders do require there to be a consultation period, before a decision is granted.
Below you will find information on the two applications we have made:
- Drought Order for the River Ouse - Applied for on 10 October, consultation period now ended
- Drought Order for a Non Essential Use Ban (NEUB) - Applied for on 24 October, consultation period now ended
River Ouse Drought Order Approved
On 10 October 2025, we applied to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for a Drought Order to help manage the water resource situation in Sussex. This has now been approved.
We applied for the Drought Order because we experienced extremely low rainfall for a large part of 2025, which resulted in the water level in Ardingly Reservoir approaching critically low levels.
On 22 September the company was granted a Drought Permit by the Environment Agency to help conserve storage in the reservoir. This Drought Order now supersedes the Drought Permit and will last for up to six months, to 2 June 2026.
What this Drought Order does
A Drought Order allows changes to be made to abstraction licences when there has been an exceptional shortage of rain. Both water companies and the Environment Agency (in England) can apply to the Secretary of State for a Drought Order to manage water resources for water supply and environmental benefit.
As the Drought Order supersedes the Drought Permit, in addition to the reduction in the compensation release from Ardingly Reservoir and the time when the company can abstract water from the Upper Ouse to refill the reservoir (see the Drought Permit page for more on this), the Drought Order also allows a reduction in the amount of water that the company must ensure is flowing in the river over Barcombe Weir which is downstream of its water treatment works abstraction point.
We are continuing to take a number of actions to reduce pressure on water resources, including fixing leaks, moving water around the network and maintaining a hosepipe ban in Kent and Sussex. While these measures have had an impact, the exceptional weather conditions experienced last summer meant more action was needed to protect customer drinking water supplies and the environment.
Will this affect me?
The Drought Order does not directly affect customers, however, the Temporary Use Ban (hosepipe ban) is still currently in place and affects customers in Sussex.
The decline of Ardingly Reservoir
You can see the decline of Ardingly Reservoir since March 2025 here.
Although we have experienced nearer to average rainfall in the last few months, which is aiding recovery, cumulative rainfall between March 2025 and August 2025 in that area of Sussex was around 63 per cent. That’s the ninth driest it’s been in the last 150 years.
Below is a graph to show the rainfall in the River Ouse catchment from May 2024 to September 2025 compared to the long term average.
To fill Ardingly Reservoir, at least 80 per cent of average rainfall is needed from now until the end of the winter.
Non Essential Use Ban Drought Order
On 24 October, we applied for a Non Essential Use Ban under a Drought Order. In December 2025 we confirmed that we cancelled our Non Essential Use Ban Drought Order application. We did this following a period of positive recovery at our Ardingly reservoir that transitioned us to Level 1 of our Drought Plan.
As of 5 February 2026, levels in our reservoirs and groundwater sources have recharged to normal levels and all hosepipe restrictions have been lifted.