Full reservoir remains unused in 'severe drought'

The water level at South East Water's Ardingly reservoir is so low that last week the Environment Agency declared a 'severe drought' in the parts of Sussex it serves.

However, less than six miles away from Ardingly in Haywards Heath, Southern Water's Weir Wood reservoir sits nearly full because a water treatment works at the site has been out of action since 2018.

At the end of 2025, when Ardingly reached worrying low levels, South East Water drew up emergency plans to run an overground pipeline between the two reservoirs.

That plan was shelved when it started raining, but could the millions and millions of litres of water sitting in Weir Wood still be the answer to Ardingly's supply problem?

Weir Wood reservoir is currently more than 80% full because, unlike Ardingly, no water is being taken from it to provide drinking water.

The water treatment works at the reservoir was built in the 1950s and according to Southern Water was facing "significant reliability and water-quality challenges".

Eight years ago the works were taken out of supply with Southern Water deciding that it had "reached the end of its operational life".

Southern Water is now undertaking a complete rebuild of the works, which is due to be completed in 2030.

Southern Water said Ardingly's current situation would not be resolved if Weir Wood's treatment works was operational.

Although Southern Water does provide water to South East Water though an existing interconnected network, that doesn't help serve the part of South East Water's network supplied by Ardingly.

However last year, when water levels at Ardingly fell to 24%, an emergency plan was drawn up to connect Weir Wood with Ardingly through a 13km (eight mile) overground pipeline.

South East Water now says the temporary pipeline was not "an appropriate solution" at the time due to "environmental concerns regarding invasive non-native species".

However, the idea has not been completely ruled out.

Douglas Whitfield, from South East Water, told BBC Radio Sussex's Danny Pike that the pipeline was "still one option" being looked at but it would be a "very complicated scheme".

The emergency pipeline proposal would need compulsory purchase orders and would cut through ancient woodland.

Whitfield said South East Water was looking at a "number of options" to help bolster supplies at Ardingly, but none of them would help this year.

The area's MP Mims Davies has called for South East Water and Southern Water to work together to allow better co-operation and sharing between the two companies.

She said: "It's about partnership and delivering change, so this [drought] goes away as an issue for my constituents."

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