Northumbrian Water pumps water from Kielder Reservoir to replenish North East rivers

Northumbrian Water is working with the Environment Agency and other partners to protect supplies the best they can, to ensure that they keep the water flowing for customers and protect local rivers and the environment.

The company’s Kielder Transfer Scheme started moving around 30 million litres of water per day from Kielder reservoir into the River Wear through its Frosterley outfall for 12 days at the end of July.

Kielder Reservoir It was the first time a Tyne-Wear transfer was made in 16 years.

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The transfer started again on Thursday afternoon (August 11) due to low river levels at Chester-le-Street.

The Environment Agency also requested Northumbrian Water make additional releases from Kielder reservoir into the River Tyne to maintain oxygen levels in the estuary to support salmon migration in the country’s top salmon river.

Almost 12,000 fish were counted moving upstream during July, the highest July total on record.

Keith Haslett, Water Director at Northumbrian Water, said “We are not anticipating the need for any restrictions on water usage this summer, however we are keeping a close watch on the situation and our teams are planning ahead for the rest of summer into Autumn, as the winter recharge will be important.Derwent Reservoir pictured in April, above, and this week, below

“As an environmentally responsible company, we are monitoring and carefully managing the resources we take from the environment and to help protect the region, we are encouraging our customers to use water wisely and preserve precious resources where they can. The smallest changes really do make the biggest difference.

“The teams are working incredibly hard to make sure that our reservoirs can recover over the autumn period, and this will help us to ensure that we can keep the water flowing for customers throughout winter and into next year.”

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Over the past seven months the region has seen below-average rainfall, extreme dry periods and heatwaves, making it officially the driest spring and early summer since 1996.

And as the region has been trying to keep cool, the water company has seen demand shoot up by 20 per cent and remain at extremely high levels all throughout this period.

Teams have been working all summer to keep water flowing, with additional staff on the ground finding and repairing leaks often caused by ground movement in the hot weather.A drying out Derwent Reservoir this week

Despite these efforts, the increased levels of demand and very dry weather conditions have meant that reservoir levels are lower than they would normally be at this point in the year, which the company is closely monitoring and managing water around the region.

A Northumbrian Water spokesperson said: “Over the past seven months we have seen below-average rainfall, and the Environment Agency have classified parts of our region as being in a period of prolonged dry weather. 

“We are continuing to experience periods of high demand for water and this means that our reservoir levels are lower than they would normally be at this point in the year.

“We are not anticipating the need for any restrictions this summer and as an environmentally-responsible company, we are monitoring and carefully managing the resources we take from the environment.

“To help with this we are encouraging our customers to use water wisely and minimise usage where they can.

“Our teams are working hard to make sure that our reservoirs can recover over the autumn period and this will help us to ensure that we can keep the water flowing for customers throughout winter and into next year.

“For advice and ideas on how to use water wisely, visit www.nwl.co.uk/summer, or follow our social media accounts.”

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