Overall, the water resources position in Welsh Water’s area of supply is relatively strong. We abstract for public supply around 3% of annual effective rainfall in our region, of which 96% is abstracted from rivers supported by releases from our impounding reservoirs. The abstractions are made under licences granted by the Environment Agency Wales and make provision for maintaining river flows in drought conditions. The remaining water we supply is abstracted from groundwater sources.
Welsh Water’s supply area is characterised by large concentrations of urban population in South Wales, in Swansea, Cardiff and Newport, with dispersed rural populations over much of the remainder of the region. Over 65% of the demand in Wales is therefore concentrated in the large South Wales conurbations. Welsh Water effectively manages a system of impounding reservoirs and river abstractions to meet this demand, transporting water where it is needed.
