Image description: Aerial view of Jersey island country – the largest of the Channel Islands.

Jersey Water has begun using its desalination plant to convert seawater into freshwater to top up reservoir levels amid the ongoing drought and high temperatures.

The utility firm announced plans to use the plant in La Rosière, Corbière, in early August, which it said was predominately used as a “back up” when it became concerned about reservoir levels which have declined over the summer. The drought has reportedly caused reservoir levels to fall to 64%, which it said was “considerably low for the time of year”.

The BBC reports that the island’s reservoirs can hold a maximum supply of water to last 120 days, but with temperatures rising as high as 39.3°C (102.7F), and a drought later confirmed, while “there remains enough water to meet current demand, the island will need significant rainfall this autumn and winter to replenish stocks”.

Jersey Water said the plant would contribute the extra water into Val de la Mare reservoir, which was the equivalent to around a quarter of the Island’s average daily supply. Mark Manton, Jersey Water’s chief operations officer said the plant added about 5.5 million litres of additional water per day.

It said the facility would run at half capacity, unless conditions in the coming weeks and months “require additional water production”. A large large fire which recently broke out near the plant was called a “close call” and, had it been damaged, the island would have lost a vital part of its drought response.