JERSEY would almost certainly have water restrictions in place now if Queen’s Valley reservoir had not been built, Jersey Water managing director Howard Snowden said.

Although the Island’s reservoirs are currently 77 per cent full, preparations are being made to ensure that the desalination plant is ready for use should it be needed.

Mr Snowden also said that garden sprinklers should not be left on all day because much is wasted.

Thirty years ago this summer the Island was wrestling with drought conditions and water restrictions, but the commissioning of the Queen’s Valley reservoir in 1991 increased Jersey’s water storage capacity by 80 per cent.

In the summer of 1976 the Island’s tourism industry was at its peak, with more than 260,000 visitors arriving each week during August and putting even more pressure on the water supplies.

Nowadays the main pressure on water supplies by consumers is during April, May and June, when people water their bedding plants.