Devon drinking water supply drought is now being watched through the level at Wimbleball reservoir, which supplies around 400,000 people across Devon, parts of Somerset and Dorset. Andrea Worley, who belongs to Wimbleball Rowing Club, said: “It's never been as low and it's worrying” as the reservoir stayed at record-low levels.
Earlier this month, Wimbleball reservoir hit 12.5% full. By 26 October it had risen only to 14% after Storm Austen and Storm Boelo brought heavy rain last week, a small lift that still left the reservoir far below normal.
Wimbleball reservoir on Exmoor
The reservoir on Exmoor stores more than 21 billion litres of water. Michael Bertulis, visiting the site, said: “It's shocking looking at it,” and added: “You can see where the water level should be.”
Severe drought was declared across parts of Southern England on 15 October, including Sussex and the South West, as reservoirs in the South West fell to record low levels. Stithians, Drift and Venford also rose slightly after the storms, but they remain among the reservoirs considered critically low.
Mark Rice on rainfall
Mark Rice, the Environment Agency area director for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said the South West will not run out of water this winter. He said: “We need to be really clear with the public, our water resources are reduced but they are not under threat,” and: “We won't run out of water this winter,”
Rice also said: “If we get average or below average rainfall, we're potentially going to be in a prolonged drought situation going into next summer.” The Environment Agency says England needs 120% of its typical rainfall to be out of drought by spring next year, which means average rain would not be enough to end the pressure on reservoirs.
South West Water supplies
Richard Stanbrook, South West Water drought programme director, said: “We were concerned” after reservoirs dropped to incredibly low levels. Andrea Worley said: “But we don't know how long the water is going to last.” For households and businesses fed by Wimbleball, the practical message is to expect tighter management of supplies through this winter, with the risk of a longer drought if rainfall stays average or weaker.
