'Use watering cans instead of hoses' says water firm as reservoir levels dip due to dry weather
Water company chiefs are urging householders to use supplies with care due to lower than normal reservoir levels caused by the dry spring weather.
The Black Country and parts of Staffordshire are mainly served by Blithfield Reservoir, bore holes, the River Severn and Chelmarsh Reservoir near Bridgnorth.
South Staffs Water said levels at Blithfield near Rugeley have dipped along with a rise in customer usage which is putting pressure on the network. It said washing cars less frequently and using a watering can instead of a hose is among the ways to cut down water use.
Around 40 per cent of its supply is taken from groundwater sources and 60 per cent from Blithfield Reservoir and the river.
In a statement South Staffs Water said: “The unusually dry spring we have experienced this year means that the water levels at our Blithfield Reservoir are lower than normal, and with the lovely weather we are experiencing, customer water usage is also higher than normal for this time of year, and this is putting pressure on our network.
"This means we want to ask our customers to think carefully about the water they are using and to consider making small changes.
"Customers can help by using a watering can rather than a hosepipe to wash the car or water their plants. A watering can uses a fifth of the water a hose pipe would use in an hour. Other water saving tips include taking shorter showers, running washing machines and dishwashers on eco mode and turning off the tap when you brush your teeth. Every little helps.
“We know we have an important part to play in saving water too, and our teams are working hard to find and fix leaks across our network. If any of our customers spot a leak in their area, reporting it to us as soon as possible will help us to fix even more leaks even faster.”
It provides up to 100 million litres of water each day to more than half a million houses and businesses in parts of the Black Country, East and South Staffordshire.
Meanwhile Severn Trent said it would be doing "everything possible" to ensure that there is no need to impose a hosepipe ban in the region for the first time in more than 30 years as level at its reservoirs including Tittesworth near Leek which supplies parts of the region were more than 13 percentage points lower than the two previous years at 81.7 per cent of capacity.
Covering 790 acres Blithfield Reservoir was created over a six-year period by building a dam across the River Blithe, channelling water into the valley alongside it. It was officially opened by the Queen Mother in October 1953.
No official figures are currently available for Trimpley near Bewdley which is a storage reservoir replenished by the River Severn, but levels there are believed to be around 90 per cent.
It was created to supplement the Elan Valley pipeline which brings water from Wales to to Birmingham. It covers 29 acres and is approximately three-feet deep increasing to 40 feet by the valve tower. It was constructed between 1964 and 1968.
