Cobra meets twice weekly as 'Day Zero' reservoir warning issued for south-west England, Sussex

Right · 2The government's emergency committee, Cobra, is meeting twice a week to discuss water supply in the south-west of England and Sussex, according to reports on 26 October 2026. 1 2 Right · 2A confidential 'reasonable worst-case scenario' drawn up by officials suggests water stocks could fall to zero per cent within weeks, which could leave household taps dry before Christmas and disrupt construction of a nuclear power plant (the Daily Mail names it as Hinkley Point C). 1 2 Right · 1The reports give Wimbleball reservoir in Somerset, which supplies more than 400,000 people, as 13 per cent full, and Ardingly in West Sussex, serving 280,000 customers, as 17 per cent full; photo captions in the Mail give 14 and 19 per cent. 1

Right · 2The shortage follows a summer of record heat and drought; Sussex and the south-west had their driest April to September in more than a century, and supplies remain critically low despite two autumn storms. Yorkshire was declared in drought last week, leaving only the North West and North East outside formal drought status. 1 2 Right · 2Southern Water, South East Water and South West Water have asked Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle to consider bans on non-essential water use, such as car washes, sports pitches and refilling private pools. 1 2 Right · 2South West Water has privately told the government it does not expect Wimbleball to run dry and does not anticipate restrictions in early November; it says it is repairing around 440 leaks a week and moving three million litres a day to areas of need. South East Water says 'day zero' is not being considered for 2027 given its actions. The Mail adds that Southern Water and EDF Energy declined to comment, and that concerns remain over Venford reservoir in Devon, with monitoring begun at Stithians and Drift in Cornwall. 1 2

Right · 2South East Water chief executive John Halsall has said supplies are under 'severe pressure' and standpipes could appear on streets for the first time in 50 years. Demand has fallen about 5 per cent against a hoped-for 10 per cent. 1 2 Right · 2A government spokesperson said customer supplies remain uninterrupted and that water companies have been told to transfer water to the lowest reservoirs, speed up leak detection and monitor reservoir and river levels daily. The Mail, citing the government's comment to The Times, also says the Environment Agency will step up compliance checks on businesses that abstract water. 2 1 Right · 2The Environment Agency has granted drought permits letting South East Water cut Ardingly's daily release to the River Ouse by three million litres and South West Water cut flows to the River Exe by nine million litres. Both outlets report fears this could harm salmon and other fish. 1 2

Right · 1Officials say rainfall would need to be 120 per cent above average over the next six months for a full nationwide recovery, and experts say normal rainfall will not be enough. The Mail notes that even if reservoirs ran dry, companies would likely be able to transfer supplies from elsewhere. 1