In February 1996 North West Water was already planning for the possibility of a long dry spell later in the year.

The company wanted to renew its drought order for Windermere and take water from the lake to boost supplies at depleted reservoirs in the North West.

It also wanted to renew a similar order for Ullswater, as water levels remained very low.

Even Haweswater, the North West's largest reservoir, was only 67 per cent full. At the same time in 1995 it held 99 per cent full of its maximum capacity.

The other major Lake District reservoir, Thirlmere, was only 57 per cent full compared with 100 per cent the previous year. And the River Dee sources, which served Merseyside and Cheshire, were just over 60 per cent full.

Since April 1995 the North West had had less rain than any other part of the country, just 56 per cent of the anticipated average long-term rainfall. And a dry winter had done nothing to help.

A record low of 720mm of rain had fallen instead of the expected 1,295mm and the region had had ten consecutive months of below-average rainfall.

According to North West Water operations director Harry Croft the Met Office says it was the worst drought in 200 years.

Between February and the summer, the company said it would:

It hoped to increase the supply of water by 20 per cent within the next five years, enough to 'water' nearly three million people.

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