
Water Quantity
Every drop counts...
The quantity of water in the Wye can pose challenges to its inhabitants in high flows and low flows. As well as being a valuable supply of drinking water, water in the Wye supports local food production, tourism, recreation and wildlife.
Abstraction
The demand for water from the Wye is met, in part by the construction of reservoirs in the upper part of the catchments. Water is either piped from these reservoirs by gravity to Birmingham or extra flows are released down the river to be abstracted. Various abstraction points take water for local use as well as a Severn Trent abstraction at Lydbrook to supply Gloucester. Agricultural use includes irrigation, winter storage reservoirs and other licenced abstractions including water for livestock.