A DROUGHT is expected to be declared in many parts of England later, with an announcement from the National Drought Group
It will mean water companies can begin announcing stricter measures to conserve supplies as Worcestershire like the rest of the UK continues to swelter in temperatures above 30 degrees celsius.
Drought is declared area by area, rather than for the country as a whole. Water companies and the government have plans for what to do depending on which company provides water in the region and where it comes from
Once declared, the prospect of a hosepipe ban will increase dramatically as water companies seek to protect supplies in reservoirs.
Severn Trent is asking people to use water wisely as demand increases to some of the highest peaks on record.
As a result of preparation work throughout the year to remain resilient and protect water supplies, the Severn Trent network is in a good position, yet with no rain in the forecast, these extreme weather conditions could continue to increase demand.
Sophie Evans-Young, Water Efficiency Manager at Severn Trent said: “As the glorious summer sunshine continues, there’s naturally a greater demand for water so our teams are working around the clock to keep the network in good shape.
“Our region has experienced the driest July in a century and with no rainfall in the forecast, we’re asking people to be mindful of their water use, as small behavioural changes can add up to a big difference.”
“We’d like to thank all our customers for their continued support as the warm and dry weather continues into the summer.”
Severn Trent hasn’t had a temporary usage ban in 27 years, and instead is actively managing its Drought Action Plan, doing everything possible to meet demand in this hot weather, whilst caring for the environment.
Severn Trent is pumping an extra hundred million litres of water into the network every day, while the number of tankers in the fleet has been doubled so water can be moved into supply more quickly than ever before.
