Southern Water withdraws Drought Order for the River Test
Following last month's pausing of our River Test Drought Order application, we have now formally withdrawn from this process
This represents the final step in the strict legal Drought Order process for 2025 and puts an end to the unlikely scenario in which we would have needed extra powers to keep taps flowing in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight.
We made our original application back in the summer as a precaution, following an incredibly dry first half of the year, but have remained confident that the likelihood of a Drought Order actually being needed was very low.
If approved by government, it would have allowed us to continue to take water from the River Test, even if levels fell below current limits on abstraction - and we set out a series of measures to help protect the environment at the same time.
However, thanks to increased rainfall in September and the water-saving backing of our customers, who continue to support our hosepipe ban, we paused the application on 22 September- and have now formally withdrawn from the process.