Where your water comes from

More than a third of the water supplied by Bristol Water comes from four major reservoirs fed from the Mendip Hills – Chew Valley Lake, Blagdon Lake, Cheddar and Barrow – the total combined reservoir storage capacity is around 38 billion litres. This is enough to fill Wembley ten times over.

When the weather is drier, we reduce our use of our reservoirs and just over half our water comes from the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. Most of the flow into the canal comes from the River Severn. About 10% of the water we supply comes from groundwater sources like boreholes, wells and springs.

We take our responsibility for preserving the water environment very seriously and we know our customers do too. We depend on our reservoirs, rivers and canals to supply water to our customers, but they also support wildlife and habitats. Some are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) as they are home to protected plants and wildlife.

In periods of dry weather, we work hard to manage resources to meet demand while minimising the impact on the natural environment. By using less water, you can help to ensure there’s enough to go around for both people and the environment.

We use water from a variety of sources, including reservoirs, rivers and groundwater. Together, these sources help support water supplies across our region. The diagram below provides an overview of our water sources and supply network.