Anglian Water customers asked to use a 'little less' as heatwave continues
Customers have used 30% more water this week already
Anglian Water say customers have used 30% more water this week, as temperatures are set to soar this weekend after several days of intense heat.
An amber heat-health alert for all regions in England is in place until Monday.
The water firm is asking households across the East to cut back on washing cars or refilling paddling pools, to help keep taps running.
Ian Rule, Director of Water Services for Anglian Water said:
“On a normal day, we supply roughly 1.1 billion litres of top-quality drinking water to our 4.3 million customers across the East of England, but with temperatures predicted to climb we know we’ll exceed this by several hundreds of millions of litres a day as long as the hot weather is here, which will be a new record for this early in the summer.
“When the weather heats up, the demand for water significantly increases which puts added pressure on the water network. When everyone tries to draw on the water supply at the same time water pressure can dip, so customers may notice water can’t flow from their taps as freely as usual. We have an army of engineers working hard already to ensure everything is in the best shape possible before the hottest weather hits.
“While our water supplies are currently in relatively good health across the region, with reservoirs almost 90% full and groundwater levels in a good position for the summer, we can’t afford to be reckless with the supplies we have available – which is why we’re asking everyone to use a ‘little less’ wherever they can, so we can meet the demand and keep taps running for everyone.”
Anglian Water’s advice to save water:
• Ditch the hosepipe: A hosepipe uses around five times more water than a watering can. You can also use rainwater from a water butt, or leftover water from your bath or paddling pool
• Love your brown lawn Your lawn can survive a few days of sunshine. If it desperately needs a drink, reuse rain or bathwater
• Reuse the pool: Paddling pools use a lot of water. You can use less by not filling it up completely and by scooping out any bugs and leaves before covering it with a fitted bed sheet to keep it fresh.
• Hold off washing your car or patio
• Make your water work twice as hard: If you’re rinsing food for dinner or a BBQ, don’t let it drain away. Instead collect it in a bowl or jug and use it to feed your indoor or garden plants.