Political opinion with Alison Bennett MP: Rain, reservoirs and resilience

With the declaration of severe drought and concerns from residents about reservoir levels across Mid Sussex, I have been working to hold water companies, regulators and ministers to account while pushing for practical solutions to strengthen our local water supply.

At the end of October, I convened the Mid Sussex Water Resilience Summit, bringing together representatives from local and national government, regulators, the NHS and South East Water. The aim was to ensure everyone involved understands the risks we face this winter and to agree a coordinated response should water supplies come under further pressure. While recent rainfall has been welcome, we cannot simply rely on the weather, so I will continue to press for the actions agreed at the summit to be delivered.

I have also been discussing concerns directly with water companies about reservoir management. Many residents have asked why water from Weir Wood Reservoir, which remains relatively full, cannot be used to support supplies when Ardingly Reservoir is at historically low levels. I have raised Weir Wood several times in the past year. In 2025, when Ardingly fell to 24%, South East Water drew up emergency plans for a 13km temporary pipeline between the two reservoirs. The plan was shelved when the rain came. Now, South East Water have told me that they consider it to be a complex scheme to deliver, due to concerns about invasive non-native species in Weir Wood transferring to Ardingly, as well as the environmental and practical issues with an overground pipeline. An underground pipeline would take significantly longer to deliver.

Therefore, as a next step, the Environment Agency has approved an extension of South East Water’s drought permit powers. This allows them to cut the daily volume it releases into the River Ouse, which should slow down the decrease in the water levels at Ardingly. This will be phased in day-by-day and very closely monitored by the Environment Agency.

Residents are rightly asking how thousands of new homes can be built if existing water supplies are already under such strain. I absolutely share these worries, which is why I have raised this directly with ministers, spoken in Parliament about the need for water companies to play a greater role in planning decisions, and challenged South East Water as to whether they are able to meet the rising demand for water created by a growing population. This week I have made these points again at the District Plan Examination hearing. I will continue working to ensure Mid Sussex has a reliable and resilient water supply for the years ahead.