We own 23 reservoirs in Devon and Cornwall. Reservoirs are incredibly important in keeping us sustainable. Pipes run from the reservoirs to water treatment works, providing them with water all year round. When we need to abstract water from the rivers, we make sure there's enough available by releasing water from reservoirs. This means there’s plenty of water for wildlife to live in after we’ve taken what we need.

When it rains, water seeps into the ground. Depending on the geology of an area, some of the water is held within the rocks – this is groundwater. We can access this water by pumping it up through boreholes. Some of it emerges from the ground as springs from which we capture water in chambers and pipes. Collected groundwater is sent to the treatment works for processing. This water source is particularly important for the Isles of Scilly and East Devon.

On St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, the sea also acts as a source of water. There's a desalination plant there where seawater is treated to remove the salt. This water is then transported for final treatment at the water treatment works. We're excited about introducing desalination on the mainland and the other four islands on the Isles of Scilly.