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Water resources FAQ

• Do you have enough water?
• We have a long tradition of meeting all of the water supply needs of our customers. We have not imposed a hosepipe ban since the record breaking drought of 1976, and our 2009 water resources plan continues to project a healthy surplus of water over the next 25 years.

• How much water is in your reservoirs?
• We have one impounding reservoir at Blithfield, but it also obtains significant amounts of water from the River Severn near Bridgnorth, and from 25 groundwater sources (each consisting of a number of boreholes). Reservoir levels at Blithfield will vary depending on the time of year, the demand for water, and on the amount of rainfall that has fallen onto the catchment above the reservoir. The most recent water resources position, including reservoir storage, can be seen on the water resources main page.

• How do you manage your water?
• Under normal weather conditions we will manage our water sources to meet demand for water at the lowest possible cost. During periods of extended dry weather we may operate to save as much water as possible, for example by taking less water from our reservoir at Blithfield and more from the River Severn. Some of the options available to us are described in more detail in our Drought Plan, which can be accessed on our drought plan page.

• Can I read your water resources management plan?
• Yes you can. Our latest water resources management plan can be found in our water resources section on this website.

• What is groundwater?
• Groundwater is rainwater that has soaked into the ground and is stored within the cracks and holes in the rocks below. This water can be used for public supply by drilling boreholes or sinking wells which allow the groundwater to be pumped to the surface. Groundwater is also important because it can flow into rivers and lakes where it can support a range of plants, insects, fish and other animals.

• What is surface water?
• Surface water is rainwater that has run across the ground and entered rivers or lakes. Some surface water also comes from groundwater which has flowed upwards to ground level.

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• Do you have a drought plan?
• Our drought plan sets out how we will manage our water resources in a drought, what triggers we will use and what actions we will take. A copy of the latest drought plan can can be accessed on our drought plan page.

• How do you forecast demand?
• We forecast demand by examining in detail the latest national and regional projections for population and housing growth, and by considering recent and future trends in household water use. There are also other issues which we consider, such as the amount of water that leaks from our pipes, the amount of water our industrial customers may be using, the future demand savings that can occur as more customers pay for water using water meters, and the more people who save water in general.

• How do you take account of uncertainty in demand forecasts?
• The range of uncertainty around each demand component is identified and then grouped together with the uncertainties on the supply forecast. This overall uncertainty is called headroom and is included in our supply demand balance calculations.

• Where do you get your water from?
• We obtain water from 3 source types: the River Severn at Hampton Loade (40%), from 25 groundwater sources (40%) and Blithfield Reservoir (20%)

• What environmental impacts do your operations have?
• We take great care to manage our operations in a way that is sympathetic and/or beneficial to the environment and we work closely with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure consistently good environmental performance. Where there are potential conflicts between our operations and the environment we are committed to working with our stakeholders to understand these issues and to address them in the most cost effective way.

• How much more water do we use in summer?
• During the hottest and driest periods of the summer demand can rise by a further 23%. This is primarily from household garden watering.

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