Developing Drought in Mid & South Ceredigion
As of 12th June 2025, we are declaring ‘Developing Drought’ status for Mid & South Ceredigion due to the levels of water stored in the area’s reservoirs.
This means that we are now at Stage 2 (out of 6) for this area - Developing Drought. We are experiencing dry conditions and the forecast is for warm, dry weather to continue. The recent intermittent rainfall in the area has not been enough to make a difference to reservoir levels. Water resources are starting to show signs of developing drought but only in some very localised areas. This is the only area of concern at the moment.
There are still no restrictions to water usage at this stage but we are asking customers to work with us to use water carefully.
Stages of Drought
Stage 1 - Normal Operation
Active | Stage 2 - Developing Drought
We are experiencing dry conditions and the forecast is for warm, dry weather to continue. Water resources are starting to show signs of developing drought but only in some very localised areas.
Due to prolonged dry weather, water resources are lower than we would expect for the time of year. To protect supplies, a temporary use ban (or hosepipe ban) may be in place as a necessary step in some areas.
Continuation of the prolonged dry weather resulting in exceptionally low water resources. Additional measures will be taken to sustain supplies to customers with temporary use measures in place.
Water resources have now reached levels where it is impossible to maintain a regular supply to customers therefore emergency measures need to be implemented. This could include the use of standpipes and timed cuts to water supplies or widespread pressure management whilst fully considering the potential impact on water quality within specific areas of our water supply network.
By working together during exceptionally challenging dry weather conditions, we are able to announce the end of drought conditions and the temporary restrictions which have been put in place.
You can view our full corporate drought plan here.
Who's affected?
The affected area spans across Mid-South Ceredigion, parts of North Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. It covers 32,000 properties from Llanon, Llangwyrfon and Cwm Ystwyth in Ceredigion, down to Crymych,
Llanfyrnach and Nevern in north Pembrokeshire and covers parts of north Carmarthenshire down to Farmers, Pencader and Hermon.
To find out if your area is affected, please use this postcode checker.
Where does the water for this area come from?
The area’s water network is supplied by the Teifi Pools reservoirs on the western edge of the Cambrian Mountains and water abstracted from the river Teifi at Llechryd.
Why is this happening?
These reservoir levels are now around 28% lower than last year and this indicates a drought is a possibility for the area over the summer.
The Teifi Pools reservoirs have only seen 56% of the expected long-term average of rainfall between March and May. The recent intermittent rainfall has not been enough to make a difference to reservoir levels.
The peaty ground around these reservoirs retains water and is slower than other areas to release water back into the environment. Rainfall over the past two weeks has done little to improve the situation here.
If reservoir levels in the area do not recover following rainfall over the next few weeks, we may need to move to stage three and issue temporary use bans – or hosepipe bans.
The video below explains more about the Teifi Pools, water resources and impact of prolonged dry weather. It also shows what we’re doing as a company to help, and what you can do to save water.
What happens next?
We’re monitoring the situation closely and this page will be updated as the situation changes. We will follow the requirements and stages of the statutory Drought Plan and introduce restrictions if necessary.