News

With temperatures expected to reach the 30s over the weekend and heading into next week, Severn Trent is urging people to consider the ways that they use water during warm weather and is asking them to stay safe this summer by staying out of reservoirs.  

Using paddling pool water to keep the garden looking green, switching off the tap while brushing your teeth and cutting a couple of minutes from your morning shower are just a few of the recommendations to help people reduce water use during warm weather to avoid a surge in demand. 

With temperatures predicted to rise in the coming days, Severn Trent is urging everyone to think about using water wisely while enjoying the sunny weather, to ensure there’s enough water for everyone, whilst helping to save money on bills too  

Heather Hateley, Water Efficiency Manager at Severn Trent said: “We always see a big jump in demand for water when the weather hots up, so with temperatures expected to climb in the coming days, we want to remind customers to use water wisely to make sure there’s enough for everyone to do the essential things like drinking, cooking, and cleaning. 

“With so many more people still working from home and the school holidays just over the horizon, loads of families are getting the paddling pools out and hooking up their hosepipes, sprinklers and pressure washers to get their gardens looking lovely. It’s these activities that can cause such a jump in demand so we’re asking everyone to reuse water wherever possible.”  

Karen Gibbs, Senior Policy Manager at the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), said: “It’s important all of us use water wisely - whatever the weather - but particularly during warmer spells when our demand can soar and put extra strain on the network. 

“Our research reveals that in the last six months two-thirds of us have not made an effort to use less water but there are lots of simple ways to save – whether that’s shortening our showers or opting to use a watering can rather than a hosepipe. These simple changes can ease the pressure on the environment and save us money too.” 

Top tips for saving water are: 

• When watering plants, use a watering can rather than a hose 
• 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! – and thirsty lawns will quickly bounce back once it starts raining again     
• Get yourself a water butt – it’s a great way to save water when it rains, and you can use the water for your garden when it’s dry – we’ve got discounted water butts available here 
• Think about planting water efficient plants such as Blanket flower (Gaillardia), Sea holly (Eryngium amethystinum) or Euphorbia – we’ve also got free ‘swell gels’ available on our website  
• Clean your car with a bucket or with leftover water from the paddling pool, rather than a hosepipe or pressure washer, it’ll save loads of water and help keep your bills down 
• Ask your children to water the plants with leftover water from their paddling pool – a fun activity to keep them entertained whilst also saving money and water  
• Check to see if you have a leaky loo – we’ve got free dye tablets available here to help you see. 
  

The company is also reminding people that while it may be tempting to cool off in some of the region’s reservoirs, it’s not safe to do so. Strong currents, freezing temperatures and hidden dangers lurking beneath the surface are just some of the reasons not to enter reservoirs to cool off on hot days.  

Dan Taberner, Operations Manager for Visitor Sites at Severn Trent, said: “It’s always fantastic to see people enjoying our wonderful sites and while we really want to encourage people to enjoy themselves in the lovely weather, we’d like to remind people to stay out of the water. 

“We know how tempting reservoirs can look in the warm weather, but even on a hot day, the water will be extremely cold and even strong swimmers may find themselves in difficulty. We don’t have lifeguards on site or safe swimming areas, so we’d ask visitors to not take that risk.” 

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

More information on water saving can be found by visiting https://www.stwater.co.uk/wonderful-on-tap/save-water/saving-water-made-simple/ 

Anyone who spots a leak while they’re out and about, can report it using the on-line form at stwater.co.uk/reportaleak or by calling our Leakline on 0800 783 4444. And now you can even FaceTime an engineer or send us a video to show us exactly where the leak is and how bad it is.