A hosepipe ban ‘in days rather than few weeks’
COURSE OF PAST SEVEN DAYS
A HOSEPIPE ban is ‘looking imminent in days rather than weeks,’ United Utilities has said – unless people start to use less water.
The company said water levels at some reservoirs have dropped by as much as two feet per week.
And bosses revealed that reservoirs in north Wales, and some in Liverpool, were now being used to supply homes and businesses with water in Greater Manchester.
Thirlmere reservoir in Keswick, Cumbria, a key water source for Manchester, is now said by United Utilities to be ‘quite low’ and lower than expected for this time of year.
“We’re planning ahead as you would expect,” said Helen Apps, from the water company.
“But the forecast for the next two to three weeks is looking like more of the same hot weather.
“We’re asking people if they could they please use less water out in the garden, and please can they avoid washing their cars. Because if we can cut back now and we can reduce the demand it makes it less likely that we will need a hosepipe ban.
“But if the demand for water doesn’t decrease, unfortunately, a hosepipe ban is looking imminent in a matter of days rather than weeks.”
United Utilities has previously reported a ‘massive increase’ in water consumption due to the weather, as sprinklers are used to cool gardens, children’s paddling pools are dusted off and firefighters tap into the network to douse scorched Saddleworth Moor and Winter Hill in a bid to quell persistent wildfire.
Use has exploded to an additional half a billion litres a day, which is 25 per cent more than usual and according to the company, the largest increase recorded by the company in recent memory.
In an update United Utilities, which owns a collection of reservoirs across Greater Manchester and the north west, said it was working to ease pressure on Thirlmere. Ms Apps said water levels had fallen by 60 centimetres – or two feet – over the course of the last seven days. She said: “Most of the water from this reservoir goes south down to Manchester and one of the things we’re doing to ease the pressure on this reservoir is we’re using more of our water sources from north Wales. “We built a big new aqueduct pipe around 10 years ago which means we can move water from the Liverpool area across to Manchester. “That means we can ease off on using the water in this reservoir and it will allow it to recover while the demand is still so high.” Helen Apps, United Utilities