Sister companies South Staffs Water and Cambridge Water have launched two separate consultations on their new five year drought plans.

The water companies are required to update their drought plans every five years as part of their statutory requirements.

South Staffs Water, which owns Cambridge Water, said that both companies had produced separate plans because of the geographically separate nature of their supply areas.

The respective drought plans look at how both companies would manage the pressure on water supplies, set out how they will minimise the impact their activities have on the environment and how they will communicate with customers, regulators and other key stakeholders.

The water companies’ most recent experience of drought conditions was with the hot, dry summer of 2018 and the very hot spring and early summer in 2020.

Following the consultations South Staffs and Cambridge Water will then produce a statement of response outlining any changes they have made to the plans. The Secretary of State for the Department for Food Environment and Rural Affairs will consider whether to issue any directions for the Final Drought Plans before the final versions are published.

Deadline to submit responses to the consultations, which run for the next eight weeks, is 2 August 2021.