While all 14 of Guernsey’s reservoirs are currently full, Guernsey Water is reminding us that “sensible, everyday habits” will keep them in a strong position if the current dry spell continues.
The utility said a “wetter-than-average” start to the year means the island’s water storage facilities are full – but that could change.
“Right now, all 14 of our reservoirs are full and performing exactly as they’re designed to, which puts us in a very strong position,” said Guernsey Water Operations Manager Jon Holt.
“Rainfall patterns this year have been mixed – very wet early on, followed by a much drier spell – and that kind of unpredictability is something we plan for as part of normal operations rather than react to. We’re not asking people to change how they use water, and we’re nowhere near that point.
“However, we also know from experience that sensible, everyday habits make a real difference over time. This is about being prepared, not alarmed, and continuing to manage the island’s water responsibly as we move through the year.”
Rainfall so far in 2026 has been “highly variable”, said Guernsey Water.
January saw around 170% of average rainfall, with 156.9 mm in total. There was rainfall on 27 days during January and the wettest day was the 8th with 22.4mm falling.
February was even wetter – becoming the wettest month on record since 1978.
The shortest month of the year saw 162.5mm of rainfall, across 23 days. The wettest day was the 11th with 24.8mm of rain falling.
By contrast, March was much drier and April is continuing that trend so far.
March 2026 was the driest March on record since 1990 with just 18.7mm of rain across just six days. The wettest days in March saw 3.8mm of rain on both the 10th and 12th.
By yesterday, April’s rainfall is around half of what would usually be expected for this time of year.
Guernsey Water said the “particularly wet period earlier in the year” saw the reservoirs refill quickly with surplus water being released into the sea when storage capacity was maxed out.
In February alone, the utility discharged around a billion litres of water – around what we would use in three months – because it could not be stored for future use.
Despite this, Guernsey Water says the island’s water storage is in a strong position.
The utility has also highlighted the positive response from the community last year, when voluntary reductions in water use helped ease pressure during drier conditions.
It says that straightforward actions – such as reusing water where possible or installing water butts if affordable – “can collectively make a meaningful difference without disruption”.
Businesses are encouraged to treat water efficiency as part of normal summer planning and Guernsey Water is asking organisations to consider ahead of time what simple, low impact water saving measures might be available if dry conditions were to persist later in the year, and which options might require more preparation.
“This is not a request for reductions in use, but an invitation to be ready,” said Guernsey Water.