Enjoy the lakes
We work with the South West Lakes Trust, a charity set up to manage facilities and land at our reserviors, to make leisure and recreation activities available to all visitors.
Whether it's for a tranquil walk or an exhilarating windsurf, our 20 beautiful reservoirs are places where people love to go to relax and enjoy the outdoors.
They are the main source of our drinking water, with 90% of our raw water coming from reservoirs and rivers, and we manage them carefully to ensure the water going into our treatment works is good, clean raw water.
Everyone is drawn magnetically to the beauty, tranquillity and possibilities of a lake.
Our reservoirs are no exception, and we work with the South West Lakes Trust, a charity set up to manage facilities and land at our reserviors, to make leisure and recreation activities available to all visitors.
Whether it's the thrill of blasting across Roadford Lake on a windsurf, or a peaceful walk at stunning Burrator Lake, the lakes offer something for everyone.
Many lakes and their surrounding land are ideal for coarse or trout angling, water sports, picnicking and relaxing. Angling and water sports facilities are available at Upper Tamar Lake which now hosts a number of clubs including fishing and model yachting.
To find out all about the recreation possibilities at our lakes and much more, visit the South West Lakes Trust website
Reservoirs are beautiful – but can also be dangerous.Every summer, we remind people not to swim in our reservoirs because of the risks that can affect even the strongest swimmer. Download our reservoir safety leaflet for more information.
Roadford Lake
Roadford reservoir between Okehampton and Launceston is a rockfill embankment which was completed in 1989.
The dam impounds water from the River Wolf to form a reservoir with a net storage of 34,500 megalitres and a surface area of 295 hectares.
Roadford supplies North Devon directly via Northcombe Water Treatment Works near Okehampton. It also makes releases to the River Tamar system which are abstracted at Gunnislake and transferred to Crownhill Water Treatment Works in Plymouth, treated and then supplied to Plymouth and parts of South West Devon.
Wimbleball Lake
Wimbleball reservoir on Exmoor is a concrete buttress construction which was completed in 1979.
The dam impounds water from the River Haddeo to form a reservoir with a net storage of 21,320 megalitres and a surface area of 150 hectares.
Wimbleball supplies Exeter and parts of East Devon by releasing water into the River Exe. This water is subsequently abstracted at Tiverton and Exeter.
Water is also supplied by pipeline to Wessex Water's Maundown Water Treatment Works. This arrangement was put in place at the time of construction.