Severe Drought Has Been Declared in Parts of Six English Counties. What the Government Has Ordered, and What Changes at Home
Severe drought is the last of the Environment Agency's drought stages before recovery, and England had not seen one since 1976. The government says supplies will not be interrupted. Water companies have been told to monitor reservoirs daily, and the Environment Agency to put public supply first where the environment and supply conflict.
Could Your Water Bill Go Up in a Drought? What Ofwat Has Actually Proposed, and Why a Meter Matters
None of the Ofwat documents behind the reports proposes drought surge pricing. Ofwat proposes amending its charging rules from April 2027 so that charges can reflect the long-run cost of water scarcity and reward efficiency, and says this adds no new household charges. Bills are fixed for the year, and new tariffs depend on meters.
Water Bills for 2027-28: What Your Water Company Is Expected to Explain, and the Five Companies Cleared for Extra Rises
Next year's water charges are due to be published in January and February 2027, and Ofwat expects each company to explain them on its website, on the bill itself and in its customer portal. Separately, five companies have draft approval to add extra amounts to bills between 2027 and 2030: Southern Water, Wessex Water, Severn Trent Water, Thames Water and South East Water.
Drought Permits, Drought Orders and Bans on Non-Essential Use: What Has Been Applied For in England This Autumn, and What Each Would Do
A hosepipe ban is the step most people see. Behind it are drought permits, which let a water company take more or release less from a river or reservoir, and drought orders, which a minister grants and which can restrict how businesses and households use water. Here is what is in progress, as at early October 2026.
Ten Water Companies Still Have Hosepipe Bans in Force, Covering Around 30 Million People. Here Is Who They Are
Around 30 million people in England are under a hosepipe ban, and summer's end has not lifted any of them. Ten companies have bans in force; South East Water and South West Water have moved to the third of four drought levels in parts of their areas; and Veolia Water has stepped up its drought level without a ban.
Sussex's Hosepipe Ban Tightens on 9 October, and South East Water Has Applied for a Ban on Non-Essential Use
Ardingly reservoir is 23% full. South East Water's Sussex customers lose their hosepipe exemptions on 9 October unless a health, safety or welfare reason applies, and the company has asked the Secretary of State for a wider ban that would reach businesses, ponds and car washes. Kent, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire keep the ban they have.
The Government Is Removing the Cap on Owning Water Company Shares. Nothing on Your Bill Changes Yet
The government wants the legal freedom to hold more than the 1% to 3% the law allows now in England's water and sewerage companies. It has not announced buying any shares, it has not said when the change takes effect, and nothing in the announcement touches a household's bill, tariff or supplier today.
Three Water Company Sewage Fines Were Announced in September. The Environment Agency Says the Fines Cannot Go on Bills
Three prosecutions brought by the Environment Agency ended in fines announced in the same month, for offences between 2015 and 2023. The Agency's own statement is that water companies cannot raise prices to offset a fine.
Almost Three-Quarters of England Is Still in Drought, and Two Regions Are Expected to Stay There Into Spring
Rain in September has not ended the drought, and the Environment Agency has published when each part of England might leave it. The north first, the south last, and in one weather scenario in four, around half the country is still in drought next spring.