Councils across Sussex could be forced to cancel their flower displays as serious summer drought fears escalate.

It follows a decision by Brighton and Hove City Council yesterday which announced it would not be having any summer floral baskets or troughs this year to help save precious water resources.

The council usually orders the plants for the 500 baskets and troughs at this time of year, but because Sussex is already officially suffering a drought, the council decided it would cancel this year's floral displays in troughs and baskets and keep planting to a minimum in beds.

And, despite rain over the past few days, Southern Water is urging all councils to consider what they plant this year as it appears the drought may continue through this summer. The company, which has not ruled out the installation of standpipes in the streets this summer, is concerned about the amount of water used on flowerbeds, hanging baskets and sports pitches.

In a letter to Sussex councils, Southern Water planning and strategy manager Meyrick Gough stated: "Sussex and Kent are the worst hit by what is now the driest period in nearly 100 years, with only three of the last 14 months seeing rainfall reach average levels.

"As a result, water resources across the region have reached their lowest levels ever.

"In the light of the drought I want to take this opportunity to ask you to consider your planting schemes for 2006. For example, could you consider alternatives to bedding plants and hanging baskets that will require frequent watering?"

Worthing Borough Council has said it is considering cutbacks in planters for 2007.

Chris Bradley, the borough parks manager, said it was too late to cut back on this year's displays: "Worthing, as a seaside town, does have a higher than average quantity of bedding displays. The use of hanging baskets and planters has been a huge selling point for Worthing in recent years and has been the source of most complimentary letters and e-mails from residents and visitors.

"It would be a pity to sacrifice all of this positive public relations at a stroke. The vast majority of our planters and hanging baskets have reservoirs to hold water. They do not leak onto the pavement when watering is carried out.

"Watering takes place in the early morning to avoid evaporation. Every reasonable precaution is taken."

Mr Bradley said it was essential to properly water municipal bowling greens, golf greens and cricket wickets to keep them up to standard. The council was committed to hosting top bowls tournaments and, if a bowling green was ruined by drought, it would cost about £50,000 to reinstate.

Lewes District Council has said it will continue to use water wisely and take advice from its water supplier, South East Water, over the coming months about the water situation.

Eastbourne Borough Council said it was reducing the number of baskets it was putting out and also ensuring they went out with water-retaining granules in the compost. This would help retain valuable moisture. The council was also ensuring they would be watered at times which would not allow for water evaporation.

A spokesman said: "Also in recent years the parks have been planted with sustainable plants which do not need so much watering."

Both the Environment Agency and Southern Water have warned that water levels in reservoirs and boreholes were dangerously low. Last summer Southern Water introduced a household hosepipe and sprinkler ban to conserve supplies, which have not been topped up by winter rain. That ban in still in force. To cater for demand as the weather warms up, Southern Water planned to divert 20 million litres of water from the River Medway in Kent into Bewl Water reservoir, which supplies much of Sussex.

With the reservoir standing two-thirds empty, water levels were the lowest since it was built in 1975. A Southern Water spokeswoman said: "We are not ruling out the possibility of standpipes in the summer."

Burgess Hill Town Council is reviewing summer plants with its suppliers. David Carden, town clerk, said the council has been moving towards less water-reliant plants in recent years.

He said: "We are talking to our suppliers and we are reviewing what we are doing and how to do it but we've already been moving towards drought-tolerant plants."

Lucy Harding, spokesman for the Environment Agency, said the underground reservoir at Broadwater Elms, Worthing, was around 43 per cent full, while another, at Rogers Farm, Findon, was 61 per cent full. Southern Water said current conditions were exceptional. The company was working on new water mains, pipelines and pumping stations to make sure it could meet demand well into the 21st century. New schemes were being fast-tracked and new sources being developed.