Reservoir levels below 40% after scorching summer

The dry summer has exposed the parched lake bed at Chew Valley reservoir

Four major reservoirs in Somerset have lost more than half of their water following the hottest summer on record.

New figures from the Environment Agency (EA) have revealed Bristol Water's Chew Valley Lake is operating at 39% capacity, followed by Blagdon Lake at 38%.

Wessex Water's reservoirs are also bearing the brunt of the dry spell, with Wimbleball Lake only 39% full and Clatworthy Reservoir recorded at just 37%.

Nearly two-thirds of reservoirs and reservoir groups across the country have been categorised as "notably or exceptionally low", according to the EA.

Several areas of England remain covered by hosepipe bans and are officially in drought after the warmest spring and summer on record.

Clatworthy Reservoir, pictured here on 25 August, is primarily a water supply for more than 200,000 homes in the Somerset area

Despite this, Wessex Water - which serves large areas of Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Bath as well as parts of Gloucestershire - has not introduced a hosepipe ban since 1976.

It attributed this to the fact 75% of its water source came from groundwater, which it said was more resilient against dry weather.

'Use water wisely'

The company said a 30% reduction in leakage in the past 20 years had also contributed, with repair teams detecting and fixing 1,200 leaks every month.

In addition, a £230m investment to build a water supply grid enables water to be transferred around the region to "meet changing demands".

A Wessex Water spokesperson said: "Regardless of reservoir and groundwater levels, which are currently below average, we always encourage customers to use water wisely to ensure there is enough to go around for everyone and the environment.''

Wimbleball Reservoir, pictured here on 3 September, is jointly owned and managed by Wessex Water and South West Water

Bristol Water said high temperatures paired with lower than average rainfall had also resulted in high water usage across its supply area.

"At peak times this summer we have provided around an extra 60 million litres of water per day to our 1.2 million customers than we would expect on average for this time of year," a spokesperson said.

"We are reviewing our water resources management strategy daily and are currently optimising water abstractions from canals and boreholes, which is having a positive impact on our reservoir levels."

The utility company said it has also invested in major leakage reductions and given away thousands of free water-saving devices to customers to help slow the demand.

Chew Valley Lake reservoir storage is currently at 39%. This time last year, storage was at 65%

Richard Stanbrook, Bristol Water's drinking water director, said: "We are continuing to monitor our water resources closely and we thank all of our customers who have taken simple steps to reduce their water use over the warm and dry summer.

"We are asking everyone to keep joining us in using water wisely so we can continue to enjoy everything our beautiful region has to offer with putting unnecessary strain on supplies.

"Small actions, like taking shorter showers or using a watering can instead of a hose, can all add up."