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South East Water, Rocfort Road - Record Inspection
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SOUTH EAST WATER LIMITED
APPLICATION FOR DROUGHT PERMIT UNDER SECTION 79A WATER
RESOURCES ACT 1991
TAKE NOTICE that due to the threat of a serious water shortage in the Sussex Region of South East Water’s supply area caused by an exceptional shortage of rain, South East Water of Rocfort Road, Snodland, Kent, ME6 5AH is applying to the Environment Agency for a Drought Permit under section 79A of the Water Resources Act 1991.
The proposed Drought Permit will involve amending South East Water’s Abstraction Licence (Number 10/41/152004), dated 8 August 1972, as follows:
1. Reduce the minimum flow above which abstraction is authorised to occur from the River Cuckmere from 1 October to 31 March from 9.1Ml/d to 4.54Ml/d as measured at the Environment Agency’s gauging station at Sherman Bridge.
The anticipated effect of this Drought Permit, if granted, will be to increase opportunities for pumped refill to Arlington Reservoir and thereby increase the likelihood the reservoir will be full by the end of the winter.
The proposed adjustments to the Abstraction Licence have been designed to have minimal consequence to the water environment and associated ecology. Monitoring will be undertaken around and downstream of our abstraction throughout the winter period when the Drought Permit will be operational and any appropriate mitigation strategies will be deployed, if any are required. This response will help South East Water continue to supply drinking water for the remainder of the year.
Anyone may inspect the proposals free of charge at the addresses below during normal working hours (9am to 4pm), until Friday 20 November at:
● Arlington Fishing Lodge, Station Road Berwick East Sussex BN26 6TF
● South East Water, Rocfort Road, Snodland, Kent, ME6 5AH
A copy of the application documents will be hosted at
www.southeastwater.co.uk/drought-permit
Objections may be made to the Environment Agency quoting the name of the applicant and reference NPS/DP/260053 by email to:
PSC-WaterResources@environment-agency.gov.uk
Or by post to: Environment Agency, Permitting Support Centre, Water Resources Team. Quadrant 2, 99 Parkway Avenue
Parkway Business Park, Sheffield, S9 4WF
Objections should be made by Friday 20 November. The response should outline if you are making a formal objection to the proposal and the grounds for the objection.
Nick Price, Head of Water Resources, South East Water
13 November 2026
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