Drought declared in south east England The region joins parts of eastern England which have been drought-afflicted since last summer, with some reservoirs, rivers and groundwater aquifers in the South East well below normal levels after two dry winters. The state of drought in the region was declared after the Environment Department (Defra) convened a summit of water companies, farmers and wildlife groups today to discuss potential water shortages in England. Following the summit, Thames Water warned that there was a high chance of water restrictions such as hosepipe bans this summer, unless there was significant rainfall or customers used less water. Some rivers and groundwater levels are lower than during the drought of 1976. In the South East, Ardingly reservoir in West Sussex and Bewl in Kent are around two-fifths of their normal levels, according to the Environment Agency. Southern Water has applied for a drought permit to help refill Bewl reservoir, while late last year South East Water was granted a drought order to help refill Ardingly. Anglian Water has also been issued with two drought permits to refill two of its reservoirs. Speaking after today's drought meeting at Defra, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: "Ensuring we have enough water this summer is vitally important, and that is why I called the summit today. Drought is already an issue this year with the South East, Anglia and other parts of the UK now officially in drought, and more areas are likely to be affected as we continue to experience a prolonged period of very low rainfall. It is not just the responsibility of Government, water companies and businesses to act against drought. We are asking for the help of everyone by urging them to use less water and to start now. Thames Water's sustainability director Richard Aylard said: "None of us know how much rain we're going to get this year, so to plan for the worst and hope for the best is a very sensible move. Much of south-east England already has got a drought situation. The worrying thing is we've had such little rain the groundwater stores that we rely on to keep the rivers flowing are very low. Things are going to get worse unless we have significant rainfall over the next couple of months. A recent survey of Thames Water customers revealed that almost half (45%) thought it was unlikely or very unlikely the region would face a drought this year - but that two-thirds accepted they could save water if there were shortages. Mr Aylard urged people to think about how much water they use. He added: "There is a high chance we will need restrictions at some stage this summer unless either we get a lot of rain or fantastic co-operation from customers using less water." Thames Water says people can save water with simple measures, such as turning off the tap while cleaning their teeth or taking shorter showers, fixing leaks and only washing full loads of laundry. Defra said water companies had agreed a number of measures to reduce the impact of the dry conditions on the environment, including reducing water losses and increasing the detection of leaks and encouraging water saving by customers. They will also be ready to bring in hosepipe bans from an early stage in the spring where necessary. The Environment Agency will also be taking a number of steps including carrying out environmental monitoring to see the impacts of the dry weather on fisheries and wildlife. The government agency will also look ahead to 2013 to assess the impacts of a possible third dry winter in drought-affected areas. And it will publish its latest drought report early next month, which sets out the areas likely to be affected by drought this spring and summer. Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, parts of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire and west Norfolk are all still in a state of drought, which was first declared in those areas last summer. The lack of rain, seen over two dry winters, appeared to be continuing last month, with the South East receiving just two-thirds (66%) of the long-term average rainfall for January. And the Anglia region saw its driest ever September to January period over the past five months. In the Thames Valley and London, rainfall has been below average for 18 months of the last 23 months. After drought was declared in the South East, the Royal Horticultural Society issued advice to gardeners to save water and protect plants in dry weather. The RHS recommended digging in lots of compost or mulch to help retain moisture in soil, plant new plants when they are small to make them more resilient to dry conditions, mulching in plants after they have been planted and pick the right plants for particular soil conditions. Water companies in the South East said that the region had experienced the driest October to January in the region since 1992, with around 73% of the expected rainfall. Since October 2010, the South East has received only four-fifths of the long-term average rainfall, leading to a "huge cumulative shortfall" in the rain needed to replenish the groundwater aquifers that supply much of the region's water. The companies said they are "not running out of water" but if there is not a dramatic improvement in the situation, with significant rainfall in the next few weeks, they will have to implement measures to tackle drought. They warned that water restrictions such as hosepipe bans may be needed in the coming weeks to ensure essential public supplies are maintained throughout the summer. The Countryside land and Business Association (CLA) called for farmers to get a "fair share of water" to protect crops. CLA president Harry Cotterell said: "Agriculture is under incredible pressure as a result of the lack of rain through the winter. Other sectors have statutory powers and priority over agriculture, but to ensure food and environmental security it is vital we are given our fair share of water. He called for the Government to think about extending permitted development rights to allow the building of on-farm reservoirs, which would help during droughts. The RSPB warned that wildlife could be hit by continuing dry weather, with Nene Washes, Cambridgeshire, already reporting a huge drop in the number of water birds such as wigeons in the area. And record numbers of bitterns which have been wintering this year at Titchwell reserve, on the Norfolk coast, could be vulnerable to dry weather. Rob Cunningham, RSPB head of water policy, said: "We're pleased to see the Government taking the drought situation so seriously. But, fundamentally the system we have for allocating water, ensuring it's not wasted and protecting the environment is nearly 50 years old and creaking at the seams. He added: "The Government's recent Water White Paper has some excellent proposals for reform but their timescale suggests they won't be in place until mid 2020s when the pressure is being felt now." Friends of the Earth's senior nature campaigner Paul de Zylva said: "Leaky old water pipes and over-abstraction from rivers mixed with unusually low rainfall this winter is a dangerous - and expensive - concoction. It's little surprise we're in drought - successive Governments have ignored expert advice on saving water, burdening farmers and households with the consequences. Ministers keep holding water summits but if they are serious about safeguarding water supplies and protecting crops and wildlife, they must urgently stop water companies drying out our rivers and place water saving at the heart of our planning system.