‘Britain could remain in drought until next summer’

Ms Spelman said water companies and the public needed to plan now for a potential drought in 2012.

South East Water has applied to the Environment Department for a drought order to help refill Ardingly reservoir, where levels of usable water are now at just 12 per cent, to secure supplies for East and West Sussex.

The Environment Agency said the south east of England was at a high risk of drought due to continued low rainfall, while central, eastern and south eastern England were unlikely to see a full recovery from drought conditions in 2012.

Parts of the rivers Colne, Nene, Trent and Kennet are nearing their lowest ever recorded levels for November, a report by the agency revealed.

The warning comes after Anglian Water was issued with a drought permit allowing it to refill two of its reservoirs from rivers now in a bid to avoid hosepipe bans next year.

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And Severn Trent Water will have to apply for a drought permit to refill the Tittesworth reservoir if it is not refilled naturally by spring next year, the Environment Agency said.

It’s vital we plan ahead to meet this challenge. Lee Dance, South East Water

Lee Dance, head of water resources for South East Water, said: “Faced with a worsening drought situation, and with no sign of significant rainfall and customer demand for water continuing, it is vital we take immediate steps to protect Ardingly reservoir and our customers’ water supplies.”

“Unfortunately if we have another dry winter, there is a high risk that parts of the country will almost certainly be in drought next summer – so it’s vital we plan ahead to meet this challenge.”

The report urges water companies to step up leak detection to make sure leakage is under control and to encourage customers to use water wisely.

It also recommends that farmers plan ahead for irrigation needs, filling winter storage reservoirs and sharing water resources with others, while livestock farmers should plan ahead for fodder and bedding supplies in light of prolonged dry conditions.