On 16 September 2026, the U.K.’s Environment Agency announced that England could remain in drought conditions until summer 2027. To recover from this year’s lack of rain, the country would need 120% of its typical rainfall over the next seven months.
The agency’s latest weekly drought assessment has recorded reservoir storage in England at 56.9%, which is 20.0% below the typical level. With nearly 75% of the country experiencing drought conditions, water companies need to secure water supplies while managing leakage reduction.
Each year, approximately 20.0% of treated water in England is lost due to leaks. Starting in 2017, Ofwat’s Price Review 2024 framework established a sector-wide performance commitment to reduce leakage by 31.4% by 2029–2030, and by 50.0% by 2050.
