Wales reservoir levels and drought status
Reservoir storage in Wales at the end of September 2026: Lake Vyrnwy 70.4%. That is the latest figure the Environment Agency has published; it is 19 days old. 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.
Covers Wales. The reservoir figures come from Environment Agency reports, which cover the Welsh reservoirs that also supply England; Natural Resources Wales sets the drought status.
Reservoir figures
Figures for 30 September 2026 (19 days ago). Source: Environment Agency, North West England water situation report: September 2026 (published 14 October 2026).
| Reservoir | % full | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Vyrnwy | 70.4% | One of only two reservoirs in the EA report classed as normal for the time of year |
Clywedog had the largest rise of any reservoir in the Environment Agency's September 2026 report, 8%.
Report: North West England water situation report: September 2026 (PDF), Environment Agency. Also Water situation: September 2026 summary.
Drought status
| 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.
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.
Hosepipe bans and water company pages
Water companies decide on hosepipe bans for their own supply areas, which do not follow the area above. Companies that supply this area:
| 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 |
"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).
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.
- North West England water situation report: September 2026, Environment Agency, published 14 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.
- Dry weather blog: 2026 (update of 12 October 2026), Natural Resources Wales, published 12 October 2026. Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
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 reservoir levels in Wales now?
Reservoir storage in Wales at the end of September 2026: Lake Vyrnwy 70.4%. This is from Environment Agency, North West England water situation report: September 2026 (published 14 October 2026) and is 19 days old. The Environment Agency publishes these figures once a month.
Is Wales in drought?
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.
Is there a hosepipe ban in Wales?
The Environment Agency's list of hosepipe bans covers England only. In Wales, check your water company: Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy.
How often are these figures updated?
The Environment Agency publishes reservoir figures for each area once a month, usually around the middle of the following month, and a weekly drought report during dry periods. This page is rebuilt from those reports, and every figure shows the date it is for. Water companies often publish more recent levels on their own sites, linked on this page.
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