Residents in the south of England have been asked to let their lawns go brown and take shorter showers as water supplies dwindle and the UK prepares for a June heatwave.
Southern Water, which supplies water to about 2.6 million customers, has issued tips on how to save water to Hampshire and Isle of Wight residents amid a prolonged dry spell, after the UK experienced its driest spring on record.
The company’s director for water, Tim McMahon, said its supplies were coming under increasing pressure and water supplies in the Test and Itchen rivers were falling.
He said: “To protect these precious chalk streams and their delicate ecosystems, we are restricted on how much water we take from them. That’s why it is vital we reduce demand across the country so we can keep taps flowing, and this may involve introducing some restrictions on use if necessary.
“But small changes can also make a big difference, such as taking shorter showers or turning off the tap when you brush your teeth. We have written to our customers to ask for their help, and to offer more tips and information. We will continue to provide updates on our water resources as we move through the summer.
He said the firm’s leakage teams were continuing to find and fix leaks after a record year which saw leakage fall from 108.1 to 91.1 million litres per day, with nearly 21,000 leaks fixed in the past 12 months.
Water saving tips from the company included swapping out a hosepipe for a watering can, reusing water from paddling pools if you use them in the hot weather, letting your lawn go brown, and cutting your shower time down to four minutes.
While the organisation has yet to issue a hosepipe ban, Southern Water has previously declared that the south east of England is “water stressed”, which means the demand for water is increasing while the impacts of climate change mean there’s less to go around.
The company predicted that by 2030, it’ll need to find an extra 50 million litres of water a day to meet the growing demand.
Its latest warning comes as heat health alerts have been issued across England as temperatures are set to soar as high as 32C this week.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued seven yellow heat health alerts, which come into force at 12pm on Wednesday and will last until 6pm on Sunday.
The alert covers Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East England, South East, South West and London.
The health body’s alert suggests that health and social care services may be significantly impacted by high temperatures, with a rise in deaths possible among those aged 65 and above and people with health conditions. Younger age groups may also be impacted, as the service predicted a “likely increase in demand for health services”.
Internal temperatures in care settings may increase, exceeding the recommended threshold for clinical risk assessment, and the heat may impact workforces.
Earlier this year, the UK marked the sunniest spring on record. As the Met Office clocked 653.3 hours of sunshine - 43 per cent above average - it became the fourth sunniest season overall for the country, with only three summers sunnier since 1910.
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