A third of Britain’s reservoirs are STILL exceptionally low meaning further water restrictions are on the cards – despite downpours that washed away the summer heatwaves
- Britain’s reservoirs remain seriously below normal levels following the summer
- Many ran almost completely dry as temperatures hit a record-breaking 40C
- There could be a ban on car washing and on filling public swimming pools
Water companies could limit how much water can be taken from rivers and bring in new restrictions as a third of Britain’s reservoirs remain worryingly low following a summer of drought across much of the country.
Reservoirs across the UK dropped far below their normal levels during weeks of dry and hot weather.
Temperatures regularly passed 30C this summer and peaked at 40C – the hottest day ever recorded in Britain.
Heavy rain has hit much of the country in the last few weeks, but it has not been enough to restore reservoirs back to their normal levels.
A leaked document shows just two of 31 significant reservoirs are at regular levels, The Times reported.
Reservoirs remain at exceptionally low levels despite heavy rain in recent weeks. Pictured: Ardingly reservoir in Sussex in August
The earth around many of them remains hard and cracked following record-breaking temperatures this summer
The minutes of a National Drought Group meeting showed that South West Water, Southern Water, Yorkshire Water, South East Water, Severn Trent Water and Thames Water were all preparing to apply for drought permits.
The permits, given by the Environment Agency, allow water companies more control over rivers and the amount of water that can be taken out of them.
Alongside hose pipe bans throughout much of the country, more restrictions on water use could soon be introduced, including car washing, cleaning non-domestic buildings and filling up public swimming pools.
However, water companies have for the moment stepped away from introducing such serious measures.
Reservoirs and rivers all but dried up in July as Britain endured its most intense ever heatwave.
Wayoh Reservoir in Entwistle, Bolton, which is normally filled with 500 million gallons of water and supplies around 50 per cent of the drinking water to Bolton, ran bone dry amid arid conditions.
Near the village of West End, near Harrogate, Yorkshire, the Thruscross reservoir was also badly affected.
Visitors were able to walk across the dry bank of the usually-full reservoir.
It is not clear how many weeks it will take the reservoirs to recover, despite persistent rain in many parts of the UK in the last few weeks.
Wayoh Reservoir in Entwistle, Bolton, which is normally filled with 500 million gallons of water, ran bone dry this summer
Visitors could walk across most of Thruscross reservoir in Harrogate after most of the basin was baked dry by the sun
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