The government said customer water supplies would be uninterrupted.
Declaring a severe drought “ensures proactive steps are taken to safeguard water before any disruption occurs”.
The government’s plans include:
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Ministers instructing water companies to conduct daily monitoring of reservoir and river levels and tougher water quality monitoring
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The Environment Agency to increase compliance checks on businesses that withdraw water from natural sources to ensure they are only taking permitted quantities of water
The government said the change to severe drought status had been prompted by specific concerns for two major reservoirs, Ardingly in West Sussex and Wimbleball in Somerset.
The latest figures, external for Wimbleball Reservoir on Exmoor show it is at 14.9% capacity, while Ardingly is 19.4% full, external. Other major reservoirs are also low, including Roadford in Devon at 36.8%, Burrator at 33.6%, Colliford in Cornwall at 35% and Stithians at 21.9%.
The Environment Agency has classed Colliford and Wimbleball as having exceptionally low levels, external
Wimbleball serves about 300,000 properties across east Devon, north Devon, Somerset, west Dorset and West Somerset. Ardingly Reservoir serves 280,000 customers across East and West Sussex.