Water shortages ongoing in Sussex and low levels at reservoirs as hot and dry weather continues
Reservoir levels are still low across Sussex as water shortages continue to affect the area during the latest UK heatwave.
The Met Office is predicting hot and dry weather in Sussex, with temperatures expected to stay between 27 and 30°C over the coming weekend (August 16-17) and into next week.
In July, Sussex World reported that water levels had been dropping in Sussex’s reservoirs. Southern Water’s Darwell reservoir, which provides water for the Hastings area, was 54.6 per cent full on July 10. The news report said Powdermill reservoir, which also supplies water for the Hastings area, was 77.5 per cent full on July 10.
South East Water’s Ardingly reservoir was 70.1 per cent full on July 6 and their Arlington reservoir was 74.3 per cent full on this date.
Now, the Environment Agency’s latest ‘Solent and South Downs water situation report – July 2025 summary’ is saying that end-of-month reservoir stocks at Ardingly and Arlington have dropped even further and were ‘both below average’.
The report said: “Ardingly Reservoir (Ouse) was at 51.71 per cent of total capacity (long-term average 82 per cent) and Arlington Reservoir (Cuckmere) was at 66.1 per cent of total capacity (long-term average 73.35 per cent).”
The report also revealed that end-of-month ground water levels for July were ‘exceptionally low’ at Beeding Hill (West Sussex chalk) and below normal at Chilgrove (West Sussex chalk) and Houndean Bottom (East Sussex chalk). But the report said these levels were normal at Cornish Farm (East Sussex chalk). The Environment Agency explained that the ground water level at Beeding Hill (West Sussex chalk) is the third lowest July level on a record that dates back to 1979.
Nationally, England’s reservoir levels are at now at their lowest in a decade – just 76 per cent full in June 2025.
A hosepipe ban is still in place for Sussex and Kent, according to South East Water. A notice at www.southeastwater.co.uk/about/updates/tubs-25 said: “Demand for drinking water in Kent and Sussex has reached record levels since May – with the ongoing warm and dry weather, we’re all using far more water than usual. This situation has left us with no choice but to restrict the use of hose pipes and sprinklers, so we can help our reservoirs and underground water storage recover.”
The news article said the National Drought Group met on Monday, August 11, as the water shortfall situation in England became a ‘nationally significant incident’. Five areas are now officially in drought (Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire, Greater Manchester Merseyside and Cheshire, East Midlands, West Midlands) and six more areas have been experiencing prolonged dry weather.
The Environment Agency said: “Despite the unsettled weather last month, many river flows and reservoir levels in England continued to recede compared to June.”
They said: “Rainstorms and showers helped mask the fact that July was still the fifth warmest on record.
“August has started to see a return of drier conditions and the fourth heatwave of the summer – putting more pressure on already struggling public water supplies and navigational waterways.”