TheaterFire

Are the reservoirs full yet?

Posted by HilariousMotives@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 60 comments

Same question as 4 months ago in this sub. Mum are we there yet?

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60 Comments

ukbot-nicolabot@reddit

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View on Reddit #78059472

Lassitude1001@reddit

I'm sure they'll be empty again before summer is over. Mostly because we've massively increased population and not built any new resevoires in something like 30 years.
View on Reddit #78057891

Gauntlets28@reddit

At least that new one's currently under construction in Hampshire. Sort of wish the others currently in the works could be hurried up a bit - but on the other hand, the phrase "rushed reservoir" doesn't inspire much hope, so maybe not.
View on Reddit #78058335

MrGrazam@reddit

And it's going to be filled by using the waste from the sewage plant. Look it up. Portsmouth is going to be drinking it's own piss very soon
View on Reddit #78059087

Gauntlets28@reddit

If you mean it's going to be fed by a water treatment plant - that's literally how all drinking water gets to your tap, one way or another. Either it's purified by machine, or the water cycle does it for us.
View on Reddit #78059449

MisterWoodster@reddit

That sounds grim on paper, but aren't we all doing that anyway in a roundabout way?
View on Reddit #78059393

TheShakyHandsMan@reddit

Two wet to build a reservoir
View on Reddit #78058640

Ok-Bag3000@reddit

Wetter than an otters pocket
View on Reddit #78058710

Specimen_E-351@reddit

The UK and slowly committing suicide by drastically increasing the population with no regard for the consequences. Name a more iconic duo.
View on Reddit #78058707

RtHonJamesHacker@reddit

The UK and slowly committing suicide by privatising natural monopolies and public infrastructure.
View on Reddit #78059428

ImBonRurgundy@reddit

Can’t afford to build any new reservoirs - we’ve got dividends and bonuses to pay out!
View on Reddit #78057998

justbiteme2k@reddit

Southern Water (one of the worst of the polluting water companies), is actually building a new reservoir! Somewhere near Portsmouth I think it is. It's a 10-15 year project though! No doubt there's some tax or loophole being exploited as they do it, and no doubt the local's water bills are going to go up to pay for it.
View on Reddit #78058989

Suspicious-Swim6932@reddit

They went up massively last year and are set to go up in April.
View on Reddit #78059372

mailywhale@reddit

We are building a massive one right now near Oxford
View on Reddit #78058979

Thin_Pin2863@reddit

Local water company is attempting to build a large new reservoir, but all the NIMBYs have kicked up and are causing issues. Again.
View on Reddit #78058303

LitmusVest@reddit

Could disguise building a dam as a wall to keep the forrins out. Bet they'd go for that.
View on Reddit #78059287

Visible_Pipe4716@reddit

Don’t forget all the leaks that water companies don’t spend money fixing because CEO bonuses are more important.
View on Reddit #78057931

hostis_72@reddit

And my share dividends.
View on Reddit #78058447

PickaxeJunky@reddit

Its the wrong sort of rain, you see...
View on Reddit #78058272

Fresh_Relation_7682@reddit

I know it’s a meme at this point but it’s not entirely wrong 
View on Reddit #78058361

skinnydog0-0@reddit

Pumping shit into rivers doesn’t come cheap!
View on Reddit #78058189

zombie_Ernie@reddit

It depends where you live. Most companies have a tracker of their reservoir levels online these days. https://www.unitedutilities.com/help-and-support/your-water-supply/your-reservoirs/reservoir-levels/
View on Reddit #78057977

LitmusVest@reddit

The benefit of living somewhere permanently grey and raining. Least I can use my hosepipe during our week of summer.
View on Reddit #78059404

smell_a_vision@reddit

If it keeps on raining, levee’s going to break
View on Reddit #78059379

TheAdamena@reddit

Reminder that nobody has ever been fined for ignoring a hosepipe ban
View on Reddit #78059114

iwantmorewhippets@reddit

Not in Cornwall, the main one for Cornwall is about 75% full despite it raining non-stop for months. The ground is saturated but there are so many leaks that it isn't full. But if levels go too far down it's fine, they will just tell the locals to not use hose pipes and save where they can so there is enough for the tourists (they actually did this 2 summers ago).
View on Reddit #78057955

cragglerock93@reddit

Cornwall and hating their only viable industry: name a better duo.
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Fusilero@reddit

Why don't they simply sustain half a million people economically based on fishing and making Cornish pasties.
View on Reddit #78059108

MayoDwarff@reddit

Wait until you find out hose pipe bans don’t just happen in Cornwall 🤯
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Probablyneedaprenup@reddit

Believe it or not water companies can't politely tell tourists to all jog on because it's more convenient for them.
View on Reddit #78058315

rectal_warrior@reddit

>The ground is saturated but there are so many leaks that it isn't full. I think you're mixing up lakes which are filled by natural water courses, and drinking water which is distributed via pipes that experience leakage. If a dam is leaking that is a major problem which usually undermines it's structural integrity.
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Extra-Sound-1714@reddit

Nope, a hosepipe ban will be announced soon.
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AdhesivenessLost151@reddit

https://riverlevels.uk Very nice site for this info. Run independently so do consider buying the guy a coffee.
View on Reddit #78057982

twmoto@reddit

Very cool but given I got a half page banner ad when I loaded I’ll pass
View on Reddit #78058125

Aggressive_Drop_1518@reddit

Just use the [gov.uk](http://gov.uk) site that provides the data for the above site? Select from postcode, river name or map [https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/river-and-sea-levels](https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/river-and-sea-levels)
View on Reddit #78058967

ChickenTikkaMasalla_@reddit

I’d consider buying a coffee if his website wasn’t just one big ad
View on Reddit #78058646

Gartcastle@reddit

It turns out he's been putting funds towards the trump campaign
View on Reddit #78058550

aussieflu999@reddit

Too many ads and popups unfortunately
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joshnosh50@reddit

Guys asking for reservoir levels not rivers
View on Reddit #78058188

lumpnsnots@reddit

Not entirely no Picking a random water company https://www.stwater.co.uk/about-us/reservoir-levels/raw-water-storage-levels-2-february-2026/ Rain does not automatically mean full reservoirs....the water companies are still constrained by the Environment Agency licences for abstraction
View on Reddit #78058104

TheValleyWolf@reddit

Plus Severn Trent gets a third of its water from aquifers https://www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/tap-water/about-your-water/
View on Reddit #78058413

doesalexadream@reddit

but aren't aquifers (mostly) replenished by rain?
View on Reddit #78058936

Conscious-Ball8373@reddit

I'm guessing they don't pump water from an aquifer into a reservoir though.
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50_61S-----165_97E@reddit

Doesn't matter if they're full or not, they don't have the capacity to get us through a prolonged drought. The water companies use their revenue to pay shareholders dividends and CEO bonuses, instead of building more capacity.
View on Reddit #78058605

urlackofaithdisturbs@reddit

The water companies have been trying to build reservoirs for decades because the more infrastructure they build the more profit they make and the bigger the CEOs bonus is.  However the government has refused to let the water companies build them over and over again because civil servants and politicians don’t get bonuses when the people get basic necessities in life.  This is why public ownership of utilities is awful for the people compared to well regulated private ownership. 
View on Reddit #78058907

ukstonerdude@reddit

Who needs a reservoir when you’ve got three River Trents where there used to be one 🥴
View on Reddit #78058795

Lwaldie@reddit

Scottish Waters reservoirs are all above 92%, west region being 99% full so not bad up north.
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KezzyKesKes@reddit

Potentially. But most domestic supply comes either from abstraction at point such as rivers, boreholes, artesian wells and aquifers. The water is then treated and stored in reservoirs with the most capacity. (This goes for underground reservoirs too). Supply will also get shunted about depending on the areas with the most demand. So while an outdoor reservoir might appear to be full, groundwater water levels are a far better indicator of whether we’ll have a hosepipe ban or not. Ex water company employee.
View on Reddit #78058765

wubaluba_dubdub@reddit

Probably the wrong type of rain
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Zippyversion1@reddit

I did the Google thing for you and for United Utilities at least reservoirs are at about 90% capacity, this is significantly higher than this time last year, but down a little from an average year.
View on Reddit #78058466

SnooBooks1701@reddit

Sussex's Ardingly Reservoir is now full and the other one at Arlington is nearing 90%
View on Reddit #78058438

Extension_Ad4492@reddit

The River Dee in Chester was rising last week as the body that controls the reservoirs has been emptying them to make room for the upcoming rain. So, yes, kind of full
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Bbew_Mot@reddit

If everyone drinks an extra glass of water and takes an extra long shower, we should all be fine.
View on Reddit #78058007

LaurenNotABot@reddit

And not letting the yellow, mellow.
View on Reddit #78058184

Bbew_Mot@reddit

If it's brown, flush it down... ...twice!
View on Reddit #78058388

Code_NY@reddit

Due to the distribution of water companies you have to search a bit on their own sites. These are some of the best reports I found though. Many of the sites just had vague statements rather than data. The conclusion seems to be, not as full as you'd think! https://www.stwater.co.uk/about-us/reservoir-levels/ https://www.southwestwater.co.uk/environment/water-resources/reservoir-levels https://www.nwl.co.uk/help-and-support/water/water-resources/ https://www.thameswater.co.uk/about-us/performance/reservoir-levels-and-rainfall-figures This site has the collected reports when they're published. Haven't had one for January yet though https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/water-situation-local-area-reports
View on Reddit #78058248

AndyTheSane@reddit

https://www.bristolwater.co.uk/en/reservoir-storage Yes round here. Chew valley was very low around September/October.
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LaidBackLeopard@reddit

In my area I gather that they pretty much are, but the aquifers aren't.
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nfurnoh@reddit

Try Google.
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View on Reddit #78057652