Reservoir water storage across the North East is in a strong position thanks to careful management by Northumbrian Water in 2025.
Storage levels across all reservoirs, including Kielder, are currently at 95% combined, following one of the driest years on record.
But while many areas across the country saw drought conditions lead to restrictions placed on water supply, Northumbrian Water and the North East avoided this.
The teams at Northumbrian Water rose to the challenges posed last year, using their expertise to navigate the difficulties and have enjoyed seeing the reservoir levels recover through the winter months.
Now looking ahead to 2026, the teams are preparing for a similar test of their skills and are not going to rest.
Kieran Ingram, Water Director at Northumbrian Water, said: “Given the challenges we faced last year, and how hard our operational teams have worked to recover, we’re in a strong position now we’re in spring.
“We’re fortunate to have fantastic teams made up of industry experts, doing everything they can throughout the year to carefully manage our supplies. And while we do everything that we can, we need our customers to help us by doing the same.”
Rainfall is a big factor in the recovery of the reservoirs, because the geographical landscape means there is natural run-off into the reservoirs. The company also takes water from nearby rivers.
The amount of river water the company can take is limited to protect wildlife habitats and water quality, and pumping capacity is also finite.
Peoples’ demand for water impacts our reservoir stock significantly too, and the day with the highest demand in March was Sunday 1 March, at 716 million litres used across the North East.
Demand levels can be influenced by the weather, when it’s warm and dry, people need more water to stay hydrated and stay cool and also use more water for leisure, particularly in the garden.
Kieran added: “From finding and fixing leaks quickly to prioritising essential work on our networks, we’re doing everything to maximise how much we can refill the reservoirs.
“But we all have a part to play. Small changes, like turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, can make a real difference to the levels of demand on our water network and keeps water in the environment where it belongs.”
Actions already under way by the water company include:
- Finding and fixing leaks: 2,711 leaks were repaired across supply areas in January, February and March. Customers can report leaks via the Report Water Problems Or Water Wastage In The North East.
- Replacing ageing pipes to make the network more resilient. Northumbrian Water is investing £50 million to repair and replace pipes in the network to improve resilience between 2025 and 2030.
- Asking customers to use water wisely, as small changes add up – one minute less in the shower every day can save up to 40 glasses of water per shower.
- Reminding customers to check for leaks at home— if you have a leaky loo it can waste 78,500 litres of water a year – that’s the equivalent of 52,300 kettles of water!
Northumbrian Water has launched a monthly infographic for customers, so they can see key information at a glance about rainfall, reservoir levels, leakage repair and demand, for the previous month.
In the meantime there is a host of information on the Northumbrian Water website including Water saving tips and information about reservoir levels online: Water Resources