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And that means Severn Trent is asking its customers to be a bit more water wise and to think about the water they’re using whether for washing the car or for gardening.

Doug Clarke, water efficiency manager at Severn Trent, said: “We all want to keep our gardens looking their best and now is the time that people will be planting bedding plants and seedlings.  These can take a lot of watering in, and the biggest temptation is to get the hosepipe or sprinkler out and leave it running.  But this can use as much as 1,000 litres of drinking water in just one hour. To put it in perspective, that’s more water than a family of four would normally use in a whole day!

“We’re also urging gardeners not to worry about the health of their lawns just yet – in fact, watering established lawns is not only unnecessary, but can cause many common lawn problems.  Watering encourages shallow rooting, which in turn means the lawn is more at risk in dry conditions.  So once you start watering, you can’t stop.“When we do get a shower or two, and no doubt we will – the warm weather never seems to last long - that’s probably all your garden needs.  And it’s also the perfect time to collect April showers in a water butt, that way you can keep the garden watered without using water from the tap, and save money too!”

It’s been over 20 years since Severn Trent last had a hosepipe ban in place and while the company is confident it has enough supply to meet demand, it's still encouraging customers to save what they can.

Doug continues: “Our reservoirs and other water sources are in a healthy position and looking good for the summer ahead.

“Now, we’re asking our customers not to be complacent and to think about being ‘water wise’ in whatever they do.  If there’s even a chance that it’s going to be a long dry summer, then we need to get into good habits now.”

Other handy tips, all of which are available at www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/hot-weather-tips, include:

• Keep hydrated;
• Have a shower rather than a bath;
• Use a bucket and sponge rather than a hose to clean your car;
• Look for leaking loos and get them fixed; and
• Turn off taps when not in use.

To get water saving devices go to www.stwater.co.uk/savewater.