Half of England in drought as farm water pressure mounts

Half of England is now in drought, with farming leaders demanding urgent action on water supplies as growers face abstraction restrictions, falling reservoir levels and mounting pressure on food production.

The Environment Agency has today (29 July) declared drought in seven areas, while several others have moved into prolonged dry weather.

July has so far delivered just 7% of its expected rainfall across England, falling to only 1% in southern areas. The country is experiencing its second consecutive summer drought, with widespread effects on agriculture, nature and public water supplies.

The drought areas are East Anglia, Hertfordshire and London, the Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West Midlands, and Wessex.

The dry conditions are already affecting farms, with early cereal harvesting, reduced yields in some crops and an increased risk of field fires.

Low river flows have led to 1,506 restrictions on abstraction licences, while high irrigation demand is rapidly depleting farm storage reservoirs.

The NFU warned that farmers and growers need secure and reliable access to water if they are to continue producing food for 29 million households.

It is calling for faster planning approval for on-farm reservoirs, more flexible abstraction licences and clearer local communication about restrictions and water availability.

The union also wants the Government, Environment Agency and water companies to create a risk register for vulnerable business water users.

Livestock, poultry and high-value horticulture businesses could be particularly exposed because dependable supplies are essential for animal welfare, crop production and business viability.

The NFU has also urged ministers to open the Water Management Grant to support investment in on-farm water storage.

NFU deputy president Paul Tompkins said: “Farmers and growers have always had to contend with the weather, but what they are experiencing now is climate change in action.”

He said increasingly extreme conditions were making food production harder, riskier and more expensive across every farming sector.

“This should matter to everyone. Water is a vital ingredient in food production, and without a secure supply, we cannot build resilient farm businesses or strengthen the country’s food security,” Tompkins said.

Some of the NFU’s proposals are intended to ease the immediate pressure, while others are focused on longer-term resilience.

A risk register and clearer local warnings could help farms manage the current drought. Planning reform, grants and more adaptable abstraction licences could allow businesses to capture and store water when rainfall returns.

The union also wants closer co-ordination between water companies and Water Abstraction Groups.

These voluntary local groups bring together farmers, growers and other licensed abstractors to manage access to water within a catchment or region.

Around 78% of England’s rivers are now classed as below normal or lower, with one in six considered exceptionally low for the time of year.

Reservoir storage across England has fallen to 75.3%, around 7.4 percentage points below the long-term average. Almost half of reservoirs are below normal levels.

Seven water companies have introduced temporary use bans affecting 23 million customers, equivalent to around 40% of England’s population.

Helen Wakeham, director of water at the Environment Agency and chair of the National Drought Group, said: “The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it.”

She described a second consecutive summer drought as an exceptionally serious situation with lasting consequences for wildlife, the environment and the economy.

The Environment Agency has stepped up monitoring and tightened controls over how much water can be taken from rivers and groundwater.

It is also working with farmers, water companies and government departments to protect supplies into the autumn.

The latest declaration means England has experienced drought in three of the past five years, following earlier events in 2022 and 2025.

The NFU said its own ten-year weather survey found that 70% of farmers had experienced an increase in heatwaves and heat stress.

Tompkins said practical changes could still strengthen farm resilience and protect food production.

“There are practical steps government and the water supply chain can take now,” he said.

“That means creating a risk register for vulnerable farm businesses, improving local communications, being adaptable as possible with abstraction so farmers can access water when it rains and unlocking the investment and planning changes needed to build more reservoirs.”

He added: “Securing water for farming means securing the food on the nation’s plates.”