Drought status continues for the Birmingham area

The Environment Agency area that covers Birmingham remains in drought, according to the agency's latest weekly report, as England heads into autumn after an exceptionally dry year.

Ten Environment Agency areas remain in drought status, and four are in prolonged dry weather status. There was no change to any area's status in the week from 18 to 24 September.

A dry September

Up to 22 September, England had received only 58 per cent of its long-term average rainfall for September. Central, eastern and south-eastern England had less than 5 millimetres of rain during the week, although the north west was wetter.

River flows fell at almost all the sites the agency reports on, and most remain below normal for the time of year. Groundwater levels are also continuing their seasonal decline.

Reservoirs

Reservoir storage across England stabilised at 56.4 per cent, which is 18.6 per cent below average for the time of year. Fourteen reservoirs are less than half full.

Birmingham's water mainly comes from the Elan Valley reservoirs in mid-Wales, which have supplied the city through a 73-mile aqueduct since 1904, supported by other sources run by Severn Trent.

Hosepipe bans

Around 30 million people across England are covered by temporary use bans, often called hosepipe bans, imposed by ten water companies.

Harm to wildlife

There have been 374 drought-related environmental incidents so far this year, more than in the whole of 2025, including 35 algae incidents and 85 incidents where fish died. Low river levels and warm water reduce oxygen, which can kill fish and other wildlife.

Will rain help?

Heavy rain is forecast to cross the country on Wednesday. However, the Environment Agency and water companies say it would take a sustained period of wetter than average weather over the autumn and winter to refill reservoirs and groundwater fully.

What you can do

Everyone can help by using water wisely: taking shorter showers, turning off the tap while brushing teeth, running washing machines and dishwashers only when full, and fixing dripping taps and leaking toilets.