To help us ensure there's enough water for everyone, on Friday 28 August we applied to the Environment Agency (EA) for a Drought Permit in Sussex. The permit was granted on Tuesday 29 September.
When we are in drought and water resources are under significant pressure, a Drought Permit can allow us to amend the conditions of the abstraction licenses that set out how we take water from natural water sources like rivers and aquifers.
The Drought Permit allows us to make two temporary changes:
- Reduce the amount of additional water we must release from Ardingly Reservoir into the Shell Brook tributary of the River Ouse, to help us keep more water in the reservoir.
- Reduce the minimum flow of water that must remain in the River Ouse after we’ve taken water from the river to keep your taps flowing.
These changes are designed to minimise the impact on the environment.
Why is a Drought Permit in Sussex needed?
The weather in 2026 has also been exceptional. The Met Office is saying it is likely to be the warmest summer on record(opens in a new tab) and we’ve had the driest July since records began 190 years ago. We’ve also seen the highest daily demand for water in recent years and recurrent heatwaves with 35-degree celsius (and above) temperatures reached in four separate calendar months (May, June, July and August).
Our reservoirs in Sussex are also continuing to fall, therefore, we are looking at other ways to protect water supplies, including applying for this Drought Permit.
What happens now?
Following the consultation period, the Environment Agency reviewed our application and granted the Drought Permit on Tuesday 29 September.
The permit allows us to temporarily reduce the amount of additional water released from Ardingly Reservoir into the Shell Brook tributary of the River Ouse and reduce the minimum flow that must remain in the river at Barcombe Mills after water has been taken from it for customers.
We will continue to carefully monitor water resources and the environment while the permit is in place.