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Most reservoirs in England were classed as notably or exceptionally low in a government and Environment Agency release published on 2 October 2026. The release said most were below half full, including Ardingly Reservoir at 23% on 28 September and Wimbleball Reservoir at 21%. The figures describe conditions at specific reporting dates—not a live reading of reservoir levels.
How full were England’s reservoirs in the 2 October release?
The joint release from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, the Environment Agency and Water Minister Emma Hardy said the Environment Agency would expect England’s overall reservoir storage to be 74.3% full at that time of year. It said most reservoirs were below half full. Ardingly Reservoir in West Sussex was at 23% on 28 September; Wimbleball Reservoir in Somerset was at 21%. The 2 October release gives those figures and its reporting context.
The 74.3% figure is the expected national level for that time of year, not a reported measurement of actual England-wide storage on 2 October. The release’s named examples are individual reservoir capacity figures; they should not be treated as the national average.
What does “notably or exceptionally low” mean?
These labels compare reservoir conditions with historic levels for the same time of year. They are classifications relative to seasonal history, not simply another way of saying a reservoir is below a particular percentage full. The Environment Agency’s reviewed report describes the historical comparison but does not state numeric cutoffs for “notably low” or “exceptionally low,” so an exact threshold cannot be given.
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Why the August storage figure is not an October reading
The Environment Agency’s weekly drought report was updated on 5 October 2026, but the reporting period it covers is 21–27 August. It says England’s reservoir storage was 59.8% on 25 August, down 2.7 percentage points that week and 18.2% below average for that time of year. The report lists nine major reservoirs as exceptionally low for that August period. Those measurements are not October reservoir levels. The weekly report should be read with its underlying dates in view.
The same late-August report said 71% of England by land area was classed as in drought, around 30 million people were under water-use restrictions, and 266 drought-related incidents had been recorded since the start of 2026. These are figures for the report’s August situation, not necessarily conditions on 2 or 7 October.
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What was driving the pressure on reservoirs?
The 2 October release said September was the sixth month in 2026 with below-average rainfall. National rainfall averaged 65% of average, with substantial regional variation:
| Area | September rainfall as a share of average |
|---|---|
| England nationally | 65% |
| East | 52% |
| South east | 57% |
| Central England | 59% |
| South west | 69% |
The release said cooler temperatures had reduced demand, but water use remained higher than expected for the time of year. It warned that, without major interventions, reservoir storage was expected to keep declining through the rest of 2026. The rainfall and demand statements are the government and Environment Agency’s assessment published on 2 October, rather than a forecast that guarantees a particular future level.
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What action did the government and Environment Agency describe?
The release said officials were scrutinising water-company drought plans, monitoring conditions and processing drought permit applications. It also presented future measures as plans, not completed infrastructure: a strengthened Water Bill and continuing work on supply resilience, including nine new reservoirs by 2050, desalination plants and water transfers.
Water Minister Emma Hardy said: “This is further evidence that fundamental reform is needed to make the water sector deliver for the public interest.” She added that “any further disruption to customer supplies would be entirely unacceptable,” and urged water companies to conserve supplies, fix leaks, reduce demand and progress contingency plans.
Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy said: “continued below average rainfall means we all need to use water wisely. The drought is far from over.”
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