UK aquifers show remarkable health despite surface water drought

British aquifers are in “remarkable” health despite ongoing heatwaves and surface water droughts affecting much of the United Kingdom. Analysis by the British Geological Survey (BGS) indicates that groundwater levels remain robust, with some areas reporting levels higher than normal.

This stability contrasts with surface water conditions. While two-thirds of England and all of Wales are experiencing drought, reservoir storage has dropped to 66%, which is nearly 14 percentage points below the long-term average. The lack of rainfall has already led to hosepipe bans and impacted agriculture and wildlife.

Christopher Jackson, BGS head of environmental modelling, noted that groundwater systems provide a much larger store of water than rivers or reservoirs. The current groundwater health is attributed to healthy replenishment during previous wet winter months. BGS researchers compared data from dozens of borehole monitoring sites against historical records, some dating back nearly two centuries, to reach these conclusions.