After months of dry weather we look at how Sussex reservoirs are bearing up

The good news is our reservoirs in Sussex are all more than 80 per cent full.

Southern Water has four reservoirs and the company says only seven per cent of the water it supplies comes from reservoirs – but they're still vital for the supply of water to certain areas in our region.

The biggest of its reservoirs is Bewl. It’s the largest stretch of open water in the South East of England with an overall capacity of 31,000 megalitres.

It is set in 800 acres of countryside bordering Sussex and Kent.

On May 8 it was 87.8 per cent full.

Darwell reservoir provides water for the Hastings area and covers 156 acres. With a capacity of 4,730 megalitres, it was 80.3 per cent full on May 8.

Holding more than a billion litres of water, Powdermill reservoir also supplies water for the Hastings area. It has a capacity of 1,060 megalitres and was 99.6 per cent full on May 8.

Lastly is Weir Wood reservoir which is key to the water supply in the north of Sussex. It is filled with rainwater and in times of drought its use is minimised to conserve supplies.

It has a 5,600 megalitre capacity and on May 8 was 98.2 per cent full.

South East Water has two reservoirs – Ardingly, which was 92.8 per cent full on May 11 and Arlington, which was 90.9 per cent full on May 11.

The company fills the reservoirs from the River Cuckmere and River Ouse in winter ready for the summer when residents use the most water.

“Our reservoirs are really important in the summer. They give us millions of extra litres of water every day to meet the higher demand,” the company’s website said.

“Ardingly and Arlington can store up to 8,300 million litres of water. They supply 8% of all the drinking water we provide to our customers.

“We also get millions of litres of water every day from underground sources called boreholes and aquifers.”

Portsmouth Water is creating a new reservoir in Hampshire to protect world-renowned chalk streams – the River Test and the River Itchen.

The company said the reservoir is an environmentally-led project that will help to safeguard internationally-rare rivers in Hampshire by providing an alternative, sustainable source of water, including for the Chichester area.

It’s important to save water all year round. This helps us make sure everyone has enough water, especially in the summer when people use more.

Here are some top tips for saving water:

• Use a water butt to collect rainwater in your garden.

• Fix any leaky toilets.

• Re-use water wherever possible.