Drought: how it is managed in England

8.4.2026 - | Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs

How the Environment Agency works with government, water companies and others to manage water resources during a drought in England.

This document sets out:

• the impacts of drought in England
• who is involved in planning, managing and responding and how we work together
• the actions we and others take to effectively manage droughts
• how we report on drought and communicate with others
• our role in recovery and learning from drought events

Related publications include:

• Water situation reports for England
• Water resources planning: managing supply and demand
• Drought: how water companies plan for dry weather and drought
• Water company drought plan guideline, 2025

Area drought plans

Environment Agency area drought plans are available on request from their National Customer Contact Centre.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drought-management-for-england