You many have seen in the media about some water companies issuing temporary usage bans, often referred to as hosepipe bans, to reduce water demand and preserve water supplies during times of hot and dry weather. A lot of work goes into turning rainwater into something we can safely drink and use, but it is being used quicker than we can treat it due to the hotter weather. We are closely monitoring and carefully managing the situation with our water resources, as reservoir levels are lower than they would normally be at this time of year, preparing for every eventuality. We have increased resources and are making extra investments to achieve our best-ever performance in repairing leaks, including redeploying our employees to find and fix leaks as well as using new technology.
Here’s how you can help us:
1. Warm weather can cause ground movement which can lead to burst pipes. If you see what you think might be a leak, you can help us out by reporting it on our website and we will do our best to get it fixed as soon as we can.
2. Check your toilets for leaks. If you think you might have a leak, we may be able to fix it for free. You can report it here.
3. Use water wisely and minimise any usage where you can. There are some easy ways you can reduce water use below.
Water saving tips
Everyone wants to stay cool and have fun in the sun and their garden to look great, but there are so many ways you can do this without wasting water. Here is a reminder of some useful top tips for saving water:
1. Reuse your water: We know school is out for summer and our furry friends love a good paddle, when the kids and pets have finished cooling down in the paddling pool, reuse it to water your flowerbeds or wash your car. You could even use the water to fill a couple of water blasters so the kids can have some extra fun and the garden gets a drink at the same time.
2. Don't water your grass: It has the magic power of going to sleep when it becomes very dry, unlike most other plants and it will come alive when moisture levels increase. Rainwater is also much more nutritious than tap water as it contains nitrogen that boosts growth. Plus, over watering encourages weed growth.
3. Use a watering can instead of a hose pipe: To water your plants and hanging baskets. A hose can use enough water to fill twelve baths every hour.
4. Water your plants in the morning: Before the sun gets too high in the sky. Not only does this minimise the risk of burning any leaves, but it also means you are wasting less water too. Try adding straw mulch to retain moisture and stop the soil from drying out too quickly.
For even more water saving top tips this summer and to try out our water bot, visit our website: www.eswater.co.uk/savewater.
If we all do what we can to reduce water use and lower the demand enough for us to treat more water to put into supply, this will hopefully avoid us having to take further measures.
If you're elderly, have medical conditions or have children under the age of 5 at home, please let us know so we can deliver water to your home should it be required. Sign up for priority services.