![\"General](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0_Cheddar-Reservoir.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Environment Agency has said that parts of the country could remain in drought into spring 2027<\/p>\n
General view of Cheddar Reservoir(Image: Bristol Water)<\/p>\n
As wetter weather returns and autumn gets into full swing, many people may assume that reservoirs will refill quickly after the dry, hot summer.<\/p>\n
However, Bristol Water has explained how short spells of rain are not enough to fill up reservoirs and that reservoir recovery is influenced by a range of factors beyond the amount of rain that falls.<\/p>\n
It comes as drought conditions continue across much of England. While some areas are expected to recover through the winter, the Environment Agency has said that parts of the country could remain in drought into spring 2027.<\/p>\n
The region is said to be experiencing the effects of an exceptionally prolonged period of dry weather and reservoirs and rivers have not received the rainfall they would normally rely on.<\/p>\n
Bristol Water said it uses a combination of water sources, including a canal fed by the River Severn, groundwater and reservoirs, to maintain reliable supplies for customers.<\/p>\n
During periods of dry weather, the company takes around half of its water from the River Severn via the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, to help conserve reservoir storage.<\/p>\n
The summer\u2019s drought conditions resulted in a significant impact to the River Severn, one of its major sources, leading to the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales applying for a drought order to protect this essential water source.<\/p>\n
Now it has rained, will we see reservoir levels return to normal?<\/p>\n
Bristol Water\u2019s senior water resources manager, Paul Merchant, explained: “Many people see rain returning and expect reservoir levels to rise immediately, but the reality is more complex. After a prolonged period of dry and warm weather, soils need time to recover.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe drought conditions have left soils significantly drier than normal. Before significant volumes of water can make their way into rivers and reservoirs, much of the initial rainfall is absorbed by the ground, slowing the replenishment process.<\/p>\n
\u201cRiver flows are still very low, and while we’ve had some light rainfall, most of it is being absorbed by dry ground rather than flowing into rivers and reservoirs to boost water levels.\u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cTo see meaningful recovery in reservoir levels, we need continued rainfall over a prolonged period. While recent rain is encouraging, it will take time for catchments and reservoirs to fully respond,\u201c Mr Merchant added.<\/p>\n
\u201cIntense rain will lead to a lot of the water running off the ground before it gets a chance to be soaked up, so we want steady rainfall instead.\u201d<\/p>\n
What can customers do to help with recovery?Customers can help protect water resources by making small changes at home, including:Taking shorter showersTurning off the tap while brushing their teethOnly using washing machines and dishwashers with full loadsFixing dripping taps and leaking toiletsCollecting rainwater in a water butt to use for gardeningWatering plants in the early morning or evening to reduce evaporation.<\/p>\n
Alongside supporting customers with using water wisely, Bristol Water said it continues to invest in its leakage programme, helping teams identify and repair leaks more quickly across the region.<\/p>\n
Over the last year, Bristol Water has reduced leakage to its lowest ever level, down 2.7 million litres a day compared to last year, increased the number of repair teams tackling leaks by 55% and increased the number of leaks repaired from 1,800 to 2,500.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Environment Agency has said that parts of the country could remain in drought into spring 2027 General…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":800758,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[1397,90,56,54,55,1068],"class_list":["post-800757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-environment","tag-science","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-weather"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/800757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=800757"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/800757\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/800758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=800757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=800757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=800757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}