Ollerby Town Council · Water report 2025–26

Fictional example. The town and every figure are invented.

Annual report

A year of fewer leaks and thinner reserves

What the Water Committee did with the town's water in 2025–26, and three things it asks the council to decide.

Water Committee, presented to Ollerby Town Council

Headline

We lost far less of the water we treated

18%

Share of treated water lost before it reached a tap, down from 26% the year before. It is the lowest figure since the town began measuring it.

Source: Ollerby Water Services, Annual Return 2025–26, table 3

Leakage, four years

Most of the drop came after the Mill Lane main was replaced

  • 2022–2331%
  • 2023–2429%
  • 2024–2526%
  • 2025–2618%

Source: Ollerby Water Services, Annual Returns 2022–23 to 2025–26, table 3

What came out of the tap

Water quality held, with one boil notice

  • 99.7%

    Of samples passed every test

    Source: Ollerby Lab Log 2025–26, summary sheet

  • 1

    Boil notice, lasting two days in the Quarry district

    Source: Council Incident Register, entry 14

  • 41

    Minutes, the average time without supply per household

    Source: Water Services Outage Log 2025–26

The worry

The reservoir fell further than it has in a decade

38%

Lowest level of Hallow Reservoir, reached in the second week of August. The council's drought plan begins restrictions at 35%.

Source: Hallow Reservoir Level Record, August 2025; Ollerby Drought Plan, section 2

Where the money went

Pipe renewal took the largest share of the budget

  • Pipe renewal£2.1m
  • Treatment£1.3m
  • Pumping energy£0.6m
  • Staff and admin£0.5m

Source: Ollerby Town Council, Water Account 2025–26, note 7

What did not go well

Three things we would do differently

  1. The Quarry valve

    The damage was avoidable. Contractors now get updated valve maps before any digging.

  2. Late warnings

    Residents heard about the August low too late to change much. Levels now go online weekly.

  3. Slow meter rollout

    We fitted far fewer meters than promised, because of a supplier delay.

What we ask of the council

Three decisions for the next meeting

  1. Fund the next main

    Approve £1.8m to replace the Church Row main in 2026–27.

  2. Lower the trigger?

    Decide whether restrictions should begin at 40% rather than 35%.

  3. Publish levels

    Make the weekly reservoir update a standing duty of the committee.

Source: Water Committee, Proposals to Council, items 1 to 3