SEVERN Trent is urging people to save water.
Soaring temperatures have meant the company is pumping an extra 300million litres of water into supply every day but it says the pipes can only carry so much and it is being used at the same rate it is being distributed.
Activities which use a lot of water such as car washing, paddling pools and baths should be abandoned this weekend and instead the company has suggested water pistols to keep kids entertained and short cold showers for those needing to cool off.
Water efficiency manager Doug Clarke said: “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 300million 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.
“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.”
He added although the heatwave would not last forever it was good to get into water-saving habits and help protect a ‘precious resource’.
Other tips from Severn Trent include –
· Put garden sprinklers away – it can use as much as 1,000 litres of water in just one hour which is on average more water than a family of four uses in a whole day.
· Taking a shower rather than a bath uses 40 litres less water.
· Using a bucket and sponge rather than a hose uses 50 times less water.
Visit www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/hot-weather-tips for more advice.
