Submitted by Steve Turner on
The UK ‘Hydrological Year’ or ‘Water Year’ starts at 09:00 GMT on 1st October. After 1st October, generally rainfall begins to recharge water reserves in the ground and in reservoirs once again, and the hydrological cycle moves from a time of losses to one of gains.
Where rivers are fast flowing and responsive to rainfall, water resources rely on full reservoirs, which fill over the winter period. Likewise, where rivers are groundwater-dominated, the groundwater stored in chalk, limestone and sandstone aquifers is slowly replenished over the winter by infiltrating rainfall.
We are now at that point in the calendar when water storage is at a minimum, and the recharge begins. As the days start to get shorter and the weather wetter, you might feel like it is nearing the end of the year, but in hydrological terms, it’s just the beginning.
Happy New Water Year 2021/2022 from all at the NRFA!
