With warm weather in the forecast for this coming weekend, Severn Trent is reminding people to stay safe by staying out of its reservoirs. 

Severn Trent's visitor sites provide a great, low-cost day out for the family, with locations offering a range of activities, from walking and cycling routes to water sports and children’s play areas.

While it may be tempting to take a dip in reservoirs can contain hidden dangers including strong currents, freezing temperatures and objects under the surface that could lead to even strong swimmers finding themselves in trouble.   

Donna Marshall, Visitor Engagement Manager at Severn Trent, said: “The summer’s been a bit soggy this year but with some warm, dry weather expected at the weekend we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors to our wonderful visitor sites. 

“While it may be tempting to take a swim in a reservoir to cool off, they’re operational sites and alongside hidden dangers under the water, even on a hot day they’re likely to be extremely cold which can lead to even strong swimmers finding themselves in trouble. 

“We take the safety of all of our visitors extremely seriously and want them to remain conscious of the dangers that can result from entering the water. We don’t have lifeguards on site or safe swimming areas, so we’d ask visitors to not take that risk.”

Some of the risks of swimming in reservoirs include:

• The water is colder than it looks and cold water shock can affect a person's muscles and cause them to gasp for air which can lead to drowning
• Reservoirs are operational sites, with machinery under the water which can create strong currents which pose a risk to even strong swimmers
• Reservoirs have steep sides and can become very deep very quickly
• The water may contain unseen natural hazards such as weeds, rocks or blue-green algae which can be toxic
• Not all sites are staffed and they may be out in the countryside, many miles from help if someone gets into trouble

More details about Severn Trent’s visitor sites are available at https://www.stwater.co.uk/our-visitor-sites/