Copyright expressandstar
Severn Trent has asked the Environment Agency (EA) for permission to continue abstracting water from the River Derwent in Derbyshire over the winter months. The move is designed to help refill its Carsington Reservoir, which remains lower than normal following months of unusually dry weather. Severn Trent said that after a record-breakingly dry spring and summer, Carsington Reservoir's level is "lower than we want it to be". The drought permit would allow the company to continue taking water from the Derwent, even if river flows remain low, ensuring storage levels are replenished before next year's peak demand period. The water company admitted last week that it is facing a water shortfall this October. Its overall reservoir storage levels had fallen below half capacity, dipping to 49.8 per cent on October 20 before rising slightly to 53.3 per cent in a reading taken on Monday this week (October 27). Severn Trent's reservoirs can hold up to 247,708 million litres (ML) of water, but contained 132,078 ML on Monday. A Severn Trent spokesperson said: "The Midlands was declared as being in drought following a record-breaking dry spring and summer, the driest and warmest on record, which has resulted in less water in rivers and reservoirs. "In Derbyshire, we recently applied to the Environment Agency for a drought permit to continue to abstract water from the River Derwent throughout winter and support the refill of Carsington Reservoir in Derbyshire to help us plan and prepare for summer 2026." The company stressed that the application only applies to Derbyshire and will not affect customers' water supplies or usage in other regions. It said the aim is to make sure the network is "well prepared" and that it is "not leaving anything to chance". It said river levels are normally at their highest during winter, allowing water companies to abstract sufficient volumes to restock reservoirs. However, the Environment Agency's latest dry weather report shows that England received an average of just 20mm of rainfall between October 17 and 24, with the West Midlands remaining in drought. Severn Trent said it remains hopeful that rainfall over the coming months will help restore reservoir levels but added that taking precautionary measures now was "the responsible thing to do".
