UK reservoir levels and drought status
Reservoirs in England were 54% full in the week ending 13 October 2026, around 21% below the long-term average for this time of year (Environment Agency, 6 days old). At the end of September 2026 they were 55% full, 19% below the long-term average for the time of year, and lower than at the same time in 2025. 11 of the Environment Agency's 14 areas are in drought (4 of them with parts in severe drought), and 3 in prolonged dry weather.
How old these figures are
| Figure | For | Age | Report |
|---|---|---|---|
| England drought status by area and hosepipe bans | 15 October 2026 | 4 days ago | Environment Agency, published 16 October 2026 |
| Scotland water scarcity levels | 15 October 2026 | 4 days ago | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), published 15 October 2026 |
| England reservoir storage, weekly | 13 October 2026 | 6 days ago | Environment Agency, published 16 October 2026 |
| Wales drought status | 12 October 2026 | 7 days ago | Natural Resources Wales, published 12 October 2026 |
| England reservoir storage by region, monthly | 30 September 2026 | 19 days ago | Environment Agency, published 13 October 2026 |
| Area reservoir figures (one report per area) | 30 September 2026 from 27 September 2026 to 30 September 2026 |
19 days ago | Environment Agency area reports (below) |
Reservoir storage by region of England
End-of-month storage at the end of September 2026, as a share of capacity, compared with the long-term average. Source: Water situation: September 2026 full report, section 9.4.
| Region | % full | Against the average |
|---|---|---|
| East | 59% | Below average |
| Central | 53% | Below average |
| North-east | 60% | Below average |
| North-west | 54% | Below average |
| South-east | 55% | Below average |
| South-west | 37% | Below average |
| England | 55% | Below average |
Storage was below average for the time of year in every region of England, and in east England it was below the historic minimum for the end of September.
Three-quarters of reservoirs or reservoir groups were classed as notably or exceptionally low for the time of year.
Reservoirs classed exceptionally low
Week ending 13 October 2026, from the Environment Agency's weekly drought report. "Exceptionally low" is the lowest of the Environment Agency's bands for the time of year.
Eighteen reservoirs or reservoir groups were less than 50% full, and 11 were classed as exceptionally low for the time of year.
| Reservoir | Operated by | Area page |
|---|---|---|
| Ardingly reservoir | South East Water | Solent and South Downs |
| Clatworthy reservoir | Wessex Water | Wessex |
| Colliford reservoir | South West Water | Devon and Cornwall |
| Wimbleball reservoir | South West Water | Devon and Cornwall |
| Stithians reservoir | South West Water | Devon and Cornwall |
| Chew Valley | Bristol Water | Wessex |
| Dove Group Winter refill was affected by water quality and operational issues |
Severn Trent Water | Midlands |
| Hanningfield reservoir | Essex and Suffolk Water | East Anglia |
| Pennines Group | United Utilities | North West |
| Grafham Water | Anglian Water | — |
| Rutland Water | Anglian Water | — |
Drought status in England by area
On 9 October 2026 Yorkshire moved into drought. On 15 October 2026 the government declared severe drought in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex.
The Environment Agency's 14 areas, as listed in its report Dry weather and drought in England: 9 to 15 October 2026 (published 16 October 2026). Stages, from least to most serious: prolonged dry weather, drought, severe drought; then recovery.
| Area | Status | Reservoir figures |
|---|---|---|
| East Anglia | Drought (stage 2 of 3) | East Anglia |
| Hertfordshire and North London | Drought (stage 2 of 3) | Hertfordshire and North London |
| Thames | Drought (stage 2 of 3) | Thames |
| Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly | Severe drought in parts (stage 3 of 3); drought elsewhere | Devon and Cornwall |
| West Midlands | Drought (stage 2 of 3) since 28 July 2026 |
Midlands |
| Kent and South London | Severe drought in parts (stage 3 of 3); drought elsewhere | Kent and South London |
| Solent and South Downs | Severe drought in parts (stage 3 of 3); drought elsewhere since the start of August 2026 |
Solent and South Downs |
| East Midlands | Drought (stage 2 of 3) since 10 August 2026 |
Midlands |
| Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire | Drought (stage 2 of 3) | Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire |
| Yorkshire | Drought (stage 2 of 3) since 9 October 2026 |
Yorkshire |
| Wessex | Severe drought in parts (stage 3 of 3); drought elsewhere The 9 to 15 October 2026 report names parts of Wessex under severe drought but does not repeat Wessex in its list of areas in drought; the 2 to 8 October 2026 report listed Wessex as in drought. |
Wessex |
| North East | Prolonged dry weather (stage 1 of 3) | North East |
| Cumbria and Lancashire | Prolonged dry weather (stage 1 of 3) | North West |
| Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire | Prolonged dry weather (stage 1 of 3) | North West |
Wales
On 12 October 2026 Natural Resources Wales kept south-east Wales and the north Wales and upper Severn catchments in drought. South-west Wales has been recovering from drought since 28 September 2026.
| Area | Status |
|---|---|
| South-east Wales | Drought (stage 2 of 3) |
| North Wales and the upper Severn | Drought (stage 2 of 3) |
| South-west Wales North Ceredigion (Rheidol, Aeron, Ystwyth), Teifi, Pembrokeshire (East and West Cleddau), Carmarthen (Tywi, Taf), Swansea and Llanelli (Tawe and Loughor), Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend (Neath, Afan and Ogmore) | Recovering from drought since 28 September 2026 |
Wales as a whole received 99% of its long-term average rainfall in September 2026, but only 62% over July to September.
NRW says reservoir levels have improved after recent rainfall, so the need for the joint River Severn drought order it applied for with the Environment Agency is less urgent.
Source: Dry weather blog: 2026 (update of 12 October 2026), Natural Resources Wales, 7 days ago. Reservoir figures for the Welsh reservoirs that also supply England are on the Wales page.
Scotland
SEPA's water scarcity report of 15 October 2026 has the Lower Tweed at Significant Scarcity, its highest level; the rest of the country not listed below is at Normal Conditions. SEPA measures water scarcity from rainfall, river flows, soils, groundwater and loch levels; it does not report reservoir percentages.
| SEPA level | Areas |
|---|---|
| Significant Scarcity (level 4 of 4) | Lower Tweed |
| Moderate Scarcity (level 3 of 4) | Tyne (Lothian), Tweed |
| Alert (level 2 of 4) | Ythan, Don (Aberdeenshire), Dee (Aberdeen), Esk (Angus), Firth of Tay, Firth of Forth, Almond |
| Early Warning (level 1 of 4) | Findhorn, Deveron, Tay, Earn |
| Normal Conditions | The rest of Scotland |
SEPA has placed temporary restrictions on some licences to take water from the environment in the areas at Significant Scarcity.
Source: Water scarcity report - 15 October 2026, SEPA, 4 days ago. SEPA publishes this report weekly on Thursdays; the SEPA water scarcity page has the current map.
Hosepipe bans
Hosepipe bans (formally temporary use bans) are set by each water company for its own supply area. This site does not say whether your address is under a ban; your water company's own page does. Companies serving England:
| Water company | Hosepipe ban in the Environment Agency's list? | Official pages |
|---|---|---|
| Affinity Water | Yes: Central and East regions: Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey and parts of London and Essex |
Hosepipe ban page |
| Anglian Water | Yes: whole company area except Hartlepool | No checked link yet: find it on the company's own website |
| Bristol Water | Yes: whole company area |
Hosepipe ban page Reservoir levels / water resources |
| Cambridge Water | Yes: whole company area |
Hosepipe ban page |
| Essex and Suffolk Water | Yes: whole company area |
Hosepipe ban page |
| South East Water | Yes: whole company area |
Hosepipe ban page |
| South West Water | Yes: whole company area except Bournemouth |
Hosepipe ban page Reservoir levels / water resources |
| Southern Water | Yes: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight | No checked link yet: find it on the company's own website |
| Thames Water | Yes: whole company area |
Hosepipe ban page |
| Wessex Water | Yes: whole company area |
Hosepipe ban page Reservoir levels / water resources |
| Northumbrian Water | No, not in the list | Reservoir levels / water resources |
| Portsmouth Water | No, not in the list | No checked link yet: find it on the company's own website |
| SES Water | No, not in the list | Reservoir levels / water resources |
| Severn Trent Water | No, not in the list | No checked link yet: find it on the company's own website |
| South Staffs Water | No, not in the list | No checked link yet: find it on the company's own website |
| United Utilities | No, not in the list | Reservoir levels / water resources |
| Yorkshire Water | No, not in the list | Reservoir levels / water resources |
"Yes" means the company is in the list of temporary use bans (hosepipe bans) in the Environment Agency's weekly report of 9 to 15 October 2026 (published 16 October 2026). A ban can cover only part of a company's area, and companies can start or lift one between reports, so check the company's own page. Links were checked when this page was built (18 October 2026).
Wales and Scotland:
| Water company | Hosepipe ban in the Environment Agency's list? | Official pages |
|---|---|---|
| Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water | Not covered (the list is for England only) | Reservoir levels / water resources |
| Hafren Dyfrdwy | Not covered (the list is for England only) | No checked link yet: find it on the company's own website |
| Scottish Water | Not covered (the list is for England only) | No checked link yet: find it on the company's own website |
"Yes" means the company is in the list of temporary use bans (hosepipe bans) in the Environment Agency's weekly report of 9 to 15 October 2026 (published 16 October 2026). A ban can cover only part of a company's area, and companies can start or lift one between reports, so check the company's own page. Links were checked when this page was built (18 October 2026).
Reservoir levels by area
| Area | Latest figure | For |
|---|---|---|
| Devon and Cornwall | 37% (total reservoir storage across devon and cornwall) | 27 September 2026 |
| East Anglia | 40% to 59% | 30 September 2026 |
| Hertfordshire and North London | Lee Valley group 69% and 1 more | 30 September 2026 |
| Kent and South London | Bewl 49% and 4 more | 30 September 2026 |
| Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire | 66.4% (average storage of the five reservoirs in the report) | 30 September 2026 |
| Midlands | 24% to 72% | 30 September 2026 |
| North East | Kielder 77.2% and 5 more | 30 September 2026 |
| North West | 52.9% (total reservoir storage for north-west england) | 30 September 2026 |
| Solent and South Downs | Ardingly (Ouse) 22.8% and 1 more | 30 September 2026 |
| Thames | Farmoor 69.0% and 1 more | 30 September 2026 |
| Wessex | Wessex Water reservoirs (all) 28% and 1 more | 30 September 2026 |
| Yorkshire | 45.8% (reservoir storage in yorkshire) | 30 September 2026 |
| Wales | Lake Vyrnwy 70.4% | 30 September 2026 |
Where these figures come from
Every figure on this page is copied from an official report, with the date it is for. The reports are PDFs and web pages, not data feeds, so the figures are typed in from each report and then checked automatically against the report's own text before the page is rebuilt. Nothing is estimated or forecast here.
- Dry weather and drought in England: 9 to 15 October 2026, Environment Agency, published 16 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Water situation: September 2026 summary, Environment Agency, published 13 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Water situation: September 2026 full report, Environment Agency, published 13 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Devon and Cornwall water situation report: September 2026, Environment Agency, published 14 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- East Anglia water situation report: September 2026, Environment Agency, published 14 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Hertfordshire and North London water situation report: September 2026, Environment Agency, published 14 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Kent and South London water situation report: September 2026, Environment Agency, published 14 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire water situation report: September 2026, Environment Agency, published 14 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Midlands water situation report: September 2026, Environment Agency, published 14 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- North East water situation report: September 2026, Environment Agency, published 14 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- North West England water situation report: September 2026, Environment Agency, published 14 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Solent and South Downs water situation report: September 2026, Environment Agency, published 14 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Thames water situation report: September 2026, Environment Agency, published 14 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Wessex water situation report: September 2026, Environment Agency, published 14 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Yorkshire water situation report: September 2026, Environment Agency, published 14 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Dry weather blog: 2026 (update of 12 October 2026), Natural Resources Wales, published 12 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Water scarcity report - 15 October 2026, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), published 15 October 2026. Licence: no licence stated; level names only, with a link.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Environment Agency). Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and Database Right. All rights reserved. SEPA's water scarcity report states no reuse licence, so this site shows only the level SEPA gives each area, with a link to the report.
What the numbers mean
- % full is the water held as a share of the reservoir's capacity. Reports use total, live (usable) or net capacity; each table says which when the report does. Figures for a "group" combine several linked reservoirs.
- Long-term average (LTA) is the usual level for the same time of year in the reservoir's past records. "Below normal", "notably low" and "exceptionally low" are the Environment Agency's bands against those records.
- Reservoir levels alone do not decide drought status or hosepipe bans: the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales also look at rainfall, river flows and groundwater, and each water company follows its own drought plan.
- Northern Ireland is not covered: we have not found an openly licensed NI Water or DAERA reservoir report to use. Scottish Water's reservoir levels are not linked because we did not find an official page for them.
Questions
What are UK reservoir levels now?
In England, reservoirs were 54% full in the week ending 13 October 2026, around 21% below the long-term average for this time of year, according to the Environment Agency's weekly drought report. At the end of September 2026 they were 55% full, 19% below the long-term average for the time of year, and lower than at the same time in 2025. Natural Resources Wales and SEPA do not give a national reservoir percentage in the reports used here; their drought and water scarcity levels are on this page. Northern Ireland is not covered.
Is there a drought in the UK in 2026?
Yes, in much of England. On 15 October 2026, 11 of the Environment Agency's 14 areas in England were in drought and 3 in prolonged dry weather. On 9 October 2026 Yorkshire moved into drought. On 15 October 2026 the government declared severe drought in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex. On 12 October 2026 Natural Resources Wales kept south-east Wales and the north Wales and upper Severn catchments in drought. South-west Wales has been recovering from drought since 28 September 2026. Scotland: SEPA's water scarcity report of 15 October 2026 has the Lower Tweed at Significant Scarcity, its highest level; the rest of the country not listed below is at Normal Conditions.
Is there a hosepipe ban in my area?
Hosepipe bans (temporary use bans) are set by water companies for their own supply areas. The Environment Agency's report of 16 October 2026 lists 10 companies with a ban in all or part of their area: Affinity Water, Anglian Water, Bristol Water, Cambridge Water, Essex and Suffolk Water, Southern Water, South East Water, South West Water, Thames Water and Wessex Water. Check your own water company's page, linked on this page, for exactly where its ban applies and what is exempt.
What do the drought stages mean?
The Environment Agency manages drought in England in four stages after normal. Prolonged dry weather: an established period of low rainfall, river flows or groundwater for the time of year. Drought: prolonged low and notably low indicators, with stress on water supplies and possible restrictions on non-essential water use. Severe drought: exceptionally low indicators over a long period, with emergency measures possible. Recovery: indicators improving and returning towards normal. Natural Resources Wales uses the same stages for Wales. Water companies have their own drought levels and decide on hosepipe bans for their own areas.
UK river levels now · Flood warnings in England · UK weather warnings · All disaster tools