More water would be taken from Ullswater under the measures

An exceptionally dry summer and autumn has almost halved water levels compared to last year at the reservoirs, which serve Manchester and other parts of the north west.

The United Utilities water company has responded by applying to the Environment Agency for "drought measures" to safeguard the region's supplies.

It wants to pump water from Ullswater and Windermere, two of the most popular lakes in Cumbria's Lake District.

LAKE DISTRICT Around 12m people visit the area every year The deepest lake is Wastwater at 74 metres (243 feet) Windermere is 62 metres (203 feet) deep and Ullswater 61 metres (200 feet) deep The lakes provide homes for birds such as coots and mallards The biggest reservoir in the Lake District is Haweswater, which holds 18,600m gallons

The inquiry on Tuesday will hear from objectors who argue that any change in the water flow in the lakes will threaten fish and other fragile eco-systems.

The company said the measures, if granted, would enable its reservoirs to recover over the winter.

It stressed the contingency plan would not be needed if a "prolonged wet spells fills up the reservoirs".

Winter is normally the time when reservoirs are re-filled but low rainfall recently has forced United Utilities to consider alternative plans.

It argues that taking action now will have less of an impact on the river environment than if water is diverted during the spring or summer.

The problems in the north west mirror similar worries in Yorkshire and southern England, where low rainfall has been aggravated by high domestic water consumption.