Severn Trent says demand last Saturday broke all previous records — surpassing even the peaks seen during the 2022 drought and the Covid pandemic. Over recent days, usage has hit almost 2.4 billion litres, around 400 million litres more than usual every day — enough to supply two million people.
The company puts much of the surge down to garden watering and paddling pools during the current heatwave, with demand staying high well into the evening and overnight.
There are no hosepipe bans or restrictions in place, and Severn Trent says it wants to keep it that way. Teams are working round the clock treating and moving water across the region, but the company is asking customers to pitch in with a few simple changes:
- Let your lawn recover naturally rather than watering it
- Only run washing machines and dishwashers with a full load
With no rain in the forecast, every little helps — and Severn Trent says small changes from everyone can make a big difference to keeping supplies flowing through the summer.
Source: bbc.co.uk
