Bewl Water, when it was dried up last year

by James Snaith

We may be shivering in sub-zero temperatures and threats of snow... but at least we're not facing a drought!

It it exactly a year to the day that Kent - and the rest of the South East - was declared a drought area.

The county faced hosepipe bans, water restrictions and bans on filling swimming pools.

Anyone who breached the terms of the water ban - the first since 2005 - could be threatened with prosecution.

But just weeks later Kent suffered a record wet summer, and the restrictions were lifted.

Now Southern Water has confirmed stockpiles are fully replenished.

The same reservoir this year

Meyrick Gough, water quality and planning manager, said: “The reservoirs are virtually full with most in the high 90%, groundwater levels are also high and well above any drought trigger levels.

“Even with a very hot summer we have enough reserves that will see us through this year, so we should not have any reasons to put restrictions in place.”

Conditions that led to the temporary water restrictions were a second dry winter on top of a warm and dry March, leaving Bewl Water at Lamberhurst at just 42% of the normal levels.

Water companies put temporary restrictions in place to preserve the remaining stock levels.

Gardeners were banned from using hosepipes

But, after the wettest summer on record - with 950mm of rain falling in the South East - and events washed out in the torrential rain, the last order was lifted at the beginning of July.

Meyrick Gough added: “I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t relief.”

"I was possibly the only person happy about the wet weather and the amount of recharge we saw but it’s meant stock levels are now in a very good place.”

Then came the rain... the mud-logged Kent County Show last year

But Lee Dance, head of water resources and environmental at South East Water, said we shouldn't be complacent about the future.

He said: "There is one thing we can be sure of, and that is that our weather remains unpredictable.

"That is why we are working hard to ensure we secure water supplies by investing in new resources, installing new pipelines to move water around our network and tackling leaks as quickly as possible."