Ardingly Activity Centre, Ardingly Reservoir & South East Water, Rocfort Road - Public Inspection
What is planned?
SOUTH EAST WATER LIMITED
APPLICATION FOR DROUGHT ORDER 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 Secretary of State for a Drought Order under section 79A of the Water Resources Act 1991.
The proposed Drought Order will involve amending South East Water’s Abstraction Licence (Number 21/128), dated 30 March 2004, as follows:
1. Reduce the compensation release for the purpose of maintaining flow in the Shell Brook downstream of Ardingly Dam, as measured at the Shell Brook gauge (NGR TQ 3348 2861), from 4,000m 3 per day to 1,000 m 3 per day; and
2. With immediate effect, altering the period when authorised abstraction can occur on the Upper Ouse, to remove the 1st November condition and permit abstraction to occur immediately, subject to meeting all other conditions under Schedule 4 of the licence.
3. Reduce the Minimum Residual Flow (MRF) at Barcombe when abstraction must not occur from 20,000m 3 per day to either 15,000m 3 per day or to 10,000m 3 per day depending on the storage volume within Ardingly Reservoir. The two scenarios are designed to ensure an appropriate balance between impact of the Drought Order and the severity of the drought situation (further information is included in the application documents to explain when the 15,000m 3 and 10,000m 3 MRF thresholds would apply).
The anticipated effect of this Drought Order, if granted, will be to reduce the operational rate of drawdown, and assist in the winter refill of Ardingly Reservoir.
The proposed adjustments to the Abstraction Licence have been designed to minimise the impact to the water environment and associated ecology. Enhanced catchment monitoring is already underway as required by Discharge Permit DP2025-21128 which was issued on 22 September 2025. Additional monitoring and mitigation is planned throughout the winter period when the Drought Order will be operational. This response will enable South East Water to ensure there is a sufficient supply of drinking water for the remainder of the year and during 2026.
Anyone may inspect the proposals free of charge at the addresses below during normal working hours (9am to 4pm), until 17 October at:
Ardingly Activity Centre, Ardingly Reservoir, Ardingly, West Sussex RH17 6SQ
South East Water, Rocfort Road, Snodland, Kent, ME6 5AH
A copy of the application documents will be hosted at
Objections may be made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), quoting the name of the applicant, by email to:
Or by post to: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Water Resources Policy Seacole Ground Floor, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF
Objections should be made by 17 October. 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
09 October 2025
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