SOUTH EAST WATER LIMITED APPLICATION FOR DROUGHT ORDER UNDER SECTION 74 WATER RESOURCES ACT 1991

SOUTH EAST WATER LIMITED
APPLICATION FOR DROUGHT ORDER UNDER SECTION 74 WATER
RESOURCES ACT 1991
Drought
Direction
2011 No.
Activity Definition Includes Definition 
Excludes
Concessions
11 b Filling or 
maintaining
a pond
Pond (manmade or 
natural), including a
swimming pond, being
used for domestic or
commercial purposes.
Includes both filling and
topping up, including by
fixed pipes
Excludes ponds in 
which fish or other 
aquatic animals are 
being reared or kept 
in captivity
None
12 Operating a 
mechanical 
vehicle washer
Mechanical car and 
truck washers, whether
automatic or not
• Washers that recycle less than 23 litres 
per wash • Biosecurity
grounds
13 Cleaning of 
any vehicle, 
boat, aircraft 
or railway 
rolling stock
Cleaning with a 
hosepipe. Includes all
vessels and road 
vehicles including those
used for commercial
purposes
Health and safety • Low water use technologies • Small
businesses whose sole operations are 
cleaning of vehicles etc. • Those using 
vessels as primary residence • Cases 
where fouling of hulls causes increased 
fuel consumption • Elderly or disabled
• Removal of graffiti
14 Cleaning 
industrial 
plant
Using a hosepipe to
clean equipment
necessary for an 
industrial operation
Health and safety • Removal of graffiti
15 Suppressing 
dust
Covers domestic and
non-domestic areas, 
using a hosepipe
Health and safety • Nuisance control
16 Operating 
cisterns
Automatically operated
flushing cistern 
servicing a WC or urinal 
in a building that is
unoccupied or closed
• Offer concessions to charities, churches 
and nonprofit organisations
17 Watering 
outdoor
plants on 
commercial
premises
Watering of plants in an
outdoor pot or in the 
ground, under cover
Does not include 
watering plants 
grown or kept for 
sale or commercial 
use, or are part of a 
National Collection 
or temporary
garden display
• Newly bought plants • Watering with
certain water efficient apparatus drip / 
micro irrigation
18 Filling or 
maintaining
a non 
domestic
swimming or 
paddling pool
A pool other than as
defined as a domestic 
pool above. Note: pools 
that are restricted to
members only e.g. hotel 
pool, private leisure
club etc. fall under this
restriction
Excludes:
(a) open to all 
public (b) during 
construction
(c) using handheld 
containers
(d) used for 
decontamination of 
animals
(e) designed for
medical treatment 
(f) fish are being 
reared or kept
(g) use by school for 
swimming lessons
• Pools serving industrial centre training
where justified • Pools with covers as 
evaporative losses low • Pools with 
approved water conservation/recycling 
system • Pools subject to significant repair 
and renovation
19 Cleaning non 
domestic 
premises
using a 
hosepipe
Any exterior part of
nondomestic building 
or a non-domestic wall, 
excluding windows
Health and safety • Some businesses may be reliant on 
building washing • Removal of graffiti
• Low water use technologies
20 Cleaning a
window of a
non
domestic
building
Any building not used
principally as a 
dwelling, any other 
structure
Health and safety Businesses reliant on building washing
• Cleaning apparatus not connected to
mains supply

The anticipated effect of this Drought Order, if granted and implemented, would be to conserve water 
resources and maintain essential public supply. In the short term it could help conserve storage and 
assist in the winter refill of Ardingly Reservoir, and it will also help with water resources recovery through 
the winter period across the Sussex region.
Anyone may inspect the proposals free of charge at the addresses below during normal working hours 
(9am to 4pm), until 31 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 www.southeastwater.co.uk
Objections may be made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), quoting the 
name of the applicant, by email to: water.resources@defra.gov.uk
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 31 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
23 October 2025
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 74 of 
the Water Resources Act 1991.
The proposed Drought Order, if granted, will only be implemented if the drought worsens and not before 
21 November 2025. If implemented it would allow us to impose restrictions on water use in accordance 
with the provisions of the Drought Direction 2011. This would mean the categories of mains water 
use listed in the table below could be restricted in the area outlined in the map below or just one 
of the resource zones if only needed partially. There will also be flexibility to give concessions to the 
restrictions, based on the severity of the drought (see table). If granted and we need to implement, we 
will publish a further notice to confirm dates and any concessions that may apply.