Hosepipe ban in force as drought threatens - is your area affected?
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- Natural Resources Wales declared drought in North Wales and the Upper Severn river basin after successive heatwaves, with Wales set to record its driest July since records began 190 years ago.
- More than 20 million people in England and Wales are now under hosepipe bans, with eight UK water companies announcing restrictions — seven across southern and eastern England and one in Wales.
- The Environment Agency declared prolonged dry weather across large parts of England including East Anglia, the West Midlands, Devon, Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, London, Wessex, Thames, and Solent and the South Downs.
- River flows in the drought-hit areas are "exceptionally low" for the time of year, with some locations seeing record lows for July, per Natural Resources Wales; UKCEH hydrologist Steve Turner warned of "increasing impacts on wildlife, agriculture and water resources" without significant rainfall.
- A landmark review into England's and Wales's water sector criticized companies for historic underinvestment in water infrastructure, with the government and water companies now planning nine new reservoirs for England by 2050 plus one already under construction at Havant Thicket in Hampshire.
- Despite the dry summer, winter was much wetter than usual — a contrast the source flags as raising questions about how effectively UK water resources are managed beyond climate change alone.
Why it matters: Eight water companies have imposed hosepipe bans covering more than 20 million people across England and Wales, with drought officially declared in North Wales and the Upper Severn. The combination of an unprecedented infrastructure review finding historic underinvestment and winter rainfall being well above average puts pressure on water companies — public, private, and non-profit alike — to demonstrate they can secure future supply rather than rely on restrictions.
