English farmers gain out-of-season reservoir access

Eligible farmers in England can refill existing reservoirs out of season this month, as the country’s water resources remain under pressure after months of below-average rainfall.

The Environment Agency (EA) announced two changes to abstraction licensing at the National Drought Group meeting on Thursday 1 October.

First, eligible winter licence holders can take water from 1-31 October to refill existing storage reservoirs for spray or trickle irrigation.

See also: Drought package: What the £65m means for English farmers

The EA said the temporary measure would help farmers build resilience while continuing to protect the environment.

However, it does not apply to principal salmon rivers or catchments with a section 57 spray-irrigation restriction, and existing licence conditions such as hands-off-flow requirements remain.

Second, the process for obtaining longer-term licences has been simplified, with applicants no longer needing to provide long-term environmental and economic assessments that have previously been a barrier.

The move comes as reservoirs across England remain significantly below their expected levels. Overall reservoir storage would normally be about 74% full at this point in the year, but many are less than half full, with Ardingly reservoir in West Sussex at 23% and Wimbleball reservoir in Somerset at 21%.

September was the sixth month of 2026 to record below-average rainfall nationally, at 65% of the long-term average. The East and South East were particularly dry, recording 52% and 57%, respectively.

NFU deputy president Paul Tompkins said the changes were a “welcome step”, adding that greater flexibility could help some farm businesses cope with the effects of an exceptionally hot and difficult summer.

However, he warned that the measures would not help all farmers, particularly those in some of the most water-stressed areas.

The changes come as the National Drought Group continues to meet weekly, with the EA warning that drought pressure is far from over.

Scotland

While England remains focused on drought and low reservoir levels, Scotland is preparing for the possibility of a wetter and more unsettled autumn.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) is urging people to understand their flood risk, with the latest seasonal outlook pointing to an increased likelihood of wetter and stormier conditions later this autumn and into early winter.

Sepa monitors water levels at 392 locations and operates more than 280 automated rain gauges, feeding information into Scotland’s flood forecasting system.