The water industry was faced with many challenges in 2022. Many areas in England were faced with hosepipe bans last year due to dry spells and some of the hottest days since records began. Met Office figures suggest that 2022 was the warmest year on record in the UK. The summer heatwave led to record levels of demand for hot water, and many companies were forced to produce hundreds of millions of litres of additional water each day during the warmest months of the year. By the end of September, reservoir stocks in England were at the lowest-ever levels since records began.
Have water stocks been replenished?
Although the vast majority of rivers have returned to their normal flows, many of the reservoirs in England remain low. This means a wetter-than-average winter is required so stocks can be replenished. This explains why households are still being encouraged to think carefully about the amount of water they are using this winter. There is currently a nationwide water-saving campaign underway called Water’s Worth Saving, which has seen the public provided with handy tips on how to make their water supplies go further and avoid wastage.
The risks of a dry winter
A dry winter is likely to cause water supply problems next year. If there is just 20% less rainfall than normal this winter, big parts of the country could see droughts continuing into next summer. Water companies are therefore taking steps to encourage replenishment including creating drought plans, boosting their leakage management strategies and making attempts to reduce customer water demand. Some water companies are offering free visits to homes to fix leaking toilets and providing their customers with free water-saving devices. Some business customers have been offered discounts for making big reductions in their water usage.
What can you do to reduce your water usage?
Everyone has a part to play in reducing the nation’s water usage. The best water-saving tips include not only avoiding hosepipe usage but also only boiling the amount of water you need when making a hot drink, taking showers instead of baths, taking shorter showers, waiting until you have a full load before you use your dishwasher and washing machine and using watering cans in the garden. You can also have your appliances checked to see if they are leaking.
Who can help if I have a problem with water in the south east?
At Ability, we can come to your assistance if you have an issue with water leaks or plumbing in the south east. We have many decades of plumbing assistance behind us and can count a wide range of business and residential customers in our network.
Contact us
To get in touch with Ability today for help with plumbing in the south east, complete the form on our site, give us a call on 01892 514495 or send an email to info@ability.uk.com. We will get back to you as quickly as we possibly can.
