BRITAIN DRIES UP
DEMAND FOR WATER ‘SKYROCKETS’ AMID LOCKDOWN AND DRIEST MAY ON RECORD
SOARING demand for water is placing ‘enormous’ strain on supplies with the Met Office poised to record May as the driest since records began in 1896.
Water companies said they were ‘working round the clock’ to cope due to hot weather and people staying at home during lockdown.
Severn Trent – one of many suppliers urging people to save water – apologised for low pressure in a number of areas, adding: ‘We’re bringing in extra water and moving it around our network to help where there’s higher demand.’
South East Water warned demand had ‘skyrocketed’, while Yorkshire Water said it had pumped an extra 140million litres of water on some days. Companies said more was being used on DIY projects and gardens as demand surged by 14 per cent in some areas.
Southern Water said people were using ‘between ten and 20 per cent’ more than usual, while Thames Water pumped an extra 63 Olympic swimming pools’ worth of water through its network on Monday – a third more than normal.
Bristol Water placed tankers on standby and told customers to ‘remain calm’ as thousands were left without water or had low pressure after a main fractured on Saturday.