Parts of southern England have been declared in severe drought following months of below-average rainfall and increased demand for water during the hottest summer on record.
The Environment Agency has announced severe drought status across parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, following a review by the National Drought Group.
The government said household water supplies would remain uninterrupted, adding that the declaration would allow authorities and water companies to take early action to protect supplies and prevent potential disruption.
Measures being introduced include daily monitoring of reservoir and river levels by water companies, increased checks on water quality and tougher compliance inspections of businesses extracting water from rivers and other natural sources.
The move follows growing concerns over critically low water levels at Wimbleball in Somerset.
Reservoir levels fall to critically low levels
The latest figures show Wimbleball Reservoir on Exmoor is just 14.9% full.
Other reservoirs across the South West are also struggling, with Roadford in Devon at 36.8%, Burrator at 33.6%, Colliford in Cornwall at 35% and Stithians at 21.9%.
The Environment Agency has classified Colliford and Wimbleball as having exceptionally low water levels.
Reservoir storage would normally be expected to stand at around 75% at this time of year. However, the agency's latest drought report indicates that levels have continued to decline at most reservoirs across England.
The low levels are raising concerns about water security as the country heads into the winter months.
Water companies given permission to protect supplies
The Environment Agency has granted a drought order to South West Water, allowing them to reduce the amount of water released from reservoirs into rivers by millions of litres per day.
The aim is to conserve water supplies while helping to maintain essential services for customers.
Wimbleball Reservoir supplies approximately 300,000 properties across east and north Devon, Somerset, west Dorset and West Somerset.
Mark Rice, the Environment Agency's area director for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said the move was intended to delay the need for further restrictions and improve the chances of reservoirs recovering over winter.
He said the action could help ensure additional restrictions would not be necessary during the winter period, while giving reservoirs the opportunity to refill.
Further concerns across the South West
Meanwhile, the Environment Agency continues to monitor several smaller reservoirs in Devon and Cornwall, including Stithians Reservoir near Falmouth.
With reservoir levels remaining well below seasonal expectations, authorities are stepping up efforts to conserve supplies and reduce the risk of further restrictions.
The government says the severe drought declaration is intended to ensure preventative action is taken now, helping to protect water supplies before customers experience any disruption.
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