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Information and public services for the Island of Jersey

L'înformâtion et les sèrvices publyis pouor I'Île dé Jèrri

Drought

​What is a drought?

A drought is a period of unusually dry weather that persists for long enough to cause serious problems such as crop damage and water supply shortages. Droughts are a natural event that can happen at any time.

What is a Drought Plan?

Jersey Water monitors our water resources, water in storage and daily consumption. In especially dry periods or if we experience a drought we follow a Drought Plan.

The Drought Plan has 3 steps, these are put into place depending on the severity of the water shortage, the level of water in our reservoirs and the demand for water.

  1. advertising campaign advising Islanders not to waste water and use water wisely

  2. use of the desalination plant to add more water to our water resources

  3. ban on the use of mains water for non-essential uses such as garden watering and car washing

How you can help

You can make a difference by doing little things everyday to save water, not just in the dry summer months but all year round.

At home

  • use a bucket to wash your car instead of a hosepipe
  • keep a jug of cool water in the fridge instead of running the tap until it gets cold
  • let your grass grow the shade helps the soil to retain water
  • re-use bathwater to water your garden
  • don't waste running water waiting for it to get hot, collect it and use it to water your plants

Jersey Water guide to using less water at home (size 241kb) 

At work

  • use water efficient appliances
  • educate staff with posters about water conservation
  • install taps and showers that turn off automatically
  • use dual flush toilets
  • protect pipe work from damage and frost  

Jersey Water guide to using less water at work (size 142kb)

At school

  • do not wash equipment in running water, fill the sink instead
  • report leaks and drips immediately
  • use watering cans instead of sprinklers or hoses in the garden areas
  • use timers on taps and showers in changing rooms
  • start a project on saving water

Jersey Water guide to using less water at school (size 1.42mb)

In the garden

  • collect rainwater to water your garden with
  • dig a little moat around tree's and shrubs to collect water
  • put a saucer under plant pots to prevent water running away
  • mulches such as woodchip, bark and gravel help prevent water evaporation

Jersey Water guide to using less water in your garden (size 444kb)

Water resources

We have limited underground reserves of water and no links to external water networks so we rely on the collection and storage of surface water for most of our mains supply. However our water storage is limited and rainfall is becoming increasingly uncertain so we need to be conscious and use water wisely at all times.

Our reservoirs, Queens Valley and Val de la Mare, store only enough water to supply our average demands for 120 days. Therefore a lack of rainfall throughout the year can severely affect our water supply.

Desalination Plant 

The Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant can provide 6,000 m3 (megalitres) of water per day. The water is delivered into Val de la Mare Reservoir and blended with natural water, before being pumped to the treatment works.

This water provides only 25% of the summertime daily demand. By itself it cannot provide sufficient water for our needs but acts as an important stand-by for when our water resources are low.​

Desalination Fact Sheet (size 228kb)

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