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Britain is set for another scorching weekend, and with demand for water really high, Severn Trent is encouraging its customers to put their feet up and help save water.

The company is pumping an extra 300 million litres of water into supply every single day but the pipes can only carry so much and it’s being used as quickly as it can be distributed.

Severn Trent is therefore now giving customers an excuse to ditch chores like washing the car and make sure there’s enough water to go round for everyone, especially during mornings and evenings when demand is much higher than normal.

Paddling pools also put increased demand on water supplies so why not give the kids a bucket of water and a water pistol instead to keep them entertained in the warm weather. If everyone is that little bit more neighbourly and thinks about others in their local communities it will help keep water flowing for everyone.

That will mean wonderful water can be used for more important things, like keeping hydrated and taking a short, cooling shower.

Water efficiency manager, Doug Clarke says: “The heatwave is here to stay so we’re asking people to be sensible and use water carefully to make sure there’s enough for everyone to enjoy. We’re producing 300 million litres more every day and we’re asking customers to do their bit too because we’re still seeing really high demand in the mornings and evenings.

“Each person in the Severn Trent region uses around 133 litres of water on an average day and right now we’ve seen that jump up to a whopping 170 litres a day! If everyone could just use around 20 litres less each it would make a massive difference to our supplies.

“We know people will be thinking about getting out in the garden and blowing up the paddling pool – but we’d ask them to save their breath, and water too, by putting it away for another day.

“Jobs like washing the car or watering the lawn can also wait, it’s far more important you use your water to keep cool and hydrated in this heat, plus it’s a great excuse to get out of any weekend jobs and put your feet up!”

Severn Trent has seen a significant increase in demand during the heatwave, and although there is plenty of water in reservoirs, this needs to be treated and the pipes are currently distributing as much as they can.

Doug adds: “Any little ways our customers can save water could mean the difference between you and your neighbours having water or not and I’m pretty sure in this heat, everyone would rather be able to have a cold glass of water than wash the car.”

Severn Trent has some top water tips on its website, some of these include:

•    Put garden sprinklers away – a sprinkler can use as much as 1,000 litres of drinking water in just one hour – which is more water than a family of four would normally use in a whole day.

•    Take a shower rather than a bath - It uses 40 litres less water and it’s quicker.

•    Use a bucket and sponge rather than a hose. If you clean your car for 30 minutes you’ll use 50 times less water with a bucket instead of a hose.

Doug concluded: “The heatwave won’t last forever, but it’s always good to get into good water saving habits as water is a precious resource, and it’s important we all play our bit in looking after it.”

A full list of handy tips is available at www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/hot-weather-tips and you can get water saving devices at www.stwater.co.uk/savewater.