The permit, issued on Friday, allows Severn Trent Water to take extra supplies from the Foremark and Staunton Harold reservoirs in Derbyshire until the end of March.
A spokesperson from the water company said it had applied for the permit because of last year’s “incredibly hot summer”.
In addition, Severn Trent said rainfall in the East Midlands has been “considerably below average for the last eight months”.
The water company can now increase its abstraction rate at the reservoirs by 4,000,000 cubic metres per year.
The EA said using these reservoirs would reduce the water firm’s use of others and allow them to refill.
“The powers will thus help to safeguard public water supplies in the company’s wider strategic water supply grid. Conditions requiring the company to release a volume of water from the reservoirs to support downstream watercourses have not been affected by the drought permit,” it said
Severn Trent said it was “not expecting any negative impacts on the environment” but that it would continue with its normal monitoring programme.
Last year, the EA warned that water supplies in reservoirs across the country were well below capacity and river flows and groundwater levels remained low.
The National Drought Group also warned water companies particularly in Yorkshire, central, southern and eastern England to prepare for drought.
There are currently six drought permits in place for Yorkshire Water.
