Our Drought Plans
Our Drought Plans identify what we will do before, during and after a drought to ensure we are able to provide you with a resilient water supply. They identify what measures are available to reduce demand and support supplies and what triggers can be used to identify when actions are required. The Plans also outline how we will communicate with our customers during a drought.
We update our Drought Plans every five years. Our latest Drought Plans for our Northumbrian Water and Essex & Suffolk Water regions were published in May 2022 following a public consultation between June and August 2021.
The Drought Plans, Appendices and Drought Plan Summaries are available to download at the bottom of this page.
Please email waterresources@nwl.co.uk should you wish to view a paper copy of our Drought Plans at our offices in Durham, Hanningfield (Near Chelmsford) or Lowestoft.
Exclusions on the Grounds of National Security
Under Section 37B(10)(b) of the Water Industry Act 1991, as amended by the Water Act 2003 ("the Act"), the Secretary of State can direct companies to exclude any information from published drought plans on the grounds that it appears to him that the publication would be contrary to the interests of national security. No information has been excluded from this plan.