Following the hottest summer on UK record according to the Met Office, Welsh Water has confirmed that no temporary use measures, or hosepipe bans, will be needed across its operating area this year.
The confirmation comes as the Mid & South Ceredigion water zone has returned to normal status after being the Welsh Water zone to reach ‘Developing Drought’ conditions earlier this due to low reservoir levels.
Hosepipe bans were avoided across Welsh Water’s operating area through a combination of customers' responsible water use and the ongoing investment being made in leakage management and infrastructure improvements. However, with hotter, drier summers becoming more common, Welsh Water stresses that consistent rainfall and continued customers support are essential to help reservoirs recover over the winter months.
Welsh Water's accelerated leakage repair programme has played a significant impact on preserving water supplies across Wales, with over 16,000 repairs across the operating area since the start of the year - including 817 in Ceredigion between April and August.
Natural Resources Wales has classified most of Wales as being in ‘environmental drought’, with low soil moisture and river levels. Five regions in England remain in official ‘drought’ following the driest six months since 1976. Hosepipe bans are still in force affecting millions of households, with National Drought Group having recently described the current water shortfall situation in England as a 'nationally significant incident.'
Marc Davies, Welsh Water's Director of Water Services said: "The dry weather this year has put huge strain on our water network and supply systems. Despite this, we’ve maintained supplies without introducing restrictions thanks to our customers’ efforts to use water wisely, and the proactive work of our teams, who have been repairing around 700 leaks each week throughout the summer. Every drop really does count, and we’re hugely grateful to customers who have taken simple steps to reduce their use. Small actions have made a big difference collectively.
"With hotter, drier summers becoming the norm, we ask everyone to keep using water wisely so our reservoirs can recover fully over the winter and be ready for next year.”
On a typical day, the company treats and distributes around 850 million litres of clean water to its three million customers – roughly equivalent to filling 320 Olympic-sized swimming pools. When temperatures last soared above 30 degrees earlier in the summer, the daily demand exceeded 1 billion litres. The increases were especially significant in our more rural areas and those impacted by tourism.
Our fleet of water tankers have been moving water around the network to keep underground drinking water tanks topped up in areas where there are high levels of demand.
Customers can report any leaks they see in their community. For info please visit dwrcymru.com/leakinfo.
Welsh Water continues to urge customers to use water wisely. Simple steps include:
- Taking showers instead of baths
- Only running dishwashers and washing machines with full loads
- Using watering cans instead of hosepipes for gardens
- Fixing household leaks promptly
For the latest updates and water-saving advice, visit dwrcymru.com/savewater.