Southern Water is applying to the Environment Agency for a precautionary drought permit at Bewl Water reservoir.

A permit will help to recharge the reservoir in preparation for next summer when water demand will increase.

Bewl Water, in Lamberhurst, Kent, is currently only 44 per cent full, when normally at this time of year it would be nearer 60 per cent. In December the reservoir was less than 33 per cent full – an exceptionally low level.

Southern Water is applying to the EA for powers to help refill it, allowing the utility to take more water from the River Medway under certain conditions.

Dr Alison Hoyle, director of compliance and asset resilience at Southern Water said:

“The dry winter last year left Bewl depleted when it would normally be full. Summer rains helped slightly but a very dry autumn and early winter makes it important that we use every tool at our disposal to ensure that Bewl refills over the winter.

“The reservoir is a key resource. As well as supplying our customers in the Medway towns, Thanet and Hastings, it is also used by South East Water.

"It is vital that we can put more water into it and we would like to see it reach levels of 75 per cent before the end of March."

Every year, water from the Medway and from rain into the reservoir's catchment area is used to top up Bewl. Previously, Southern Water couldn't take water from the river if the Medway flow rate had dropped below the 200 million litres per day level in January (increasing to 275 Ml/d in March), which is set in the current licence agreement.

The drought permit allows the water company to continue taking water from the river until the flow rate drops to 150 million litres per day, between the day the permit is granted and 31 March 2018.