Reservoirs are running lower than normal in the area due to a lack of rainfall this year, Bristol Water has said. The UK is facing more extreme heat during August and experts have warned the country faces the prospect of drought and crop failure due to the dry conditions.
Bristol Water has previously promised it did not need to impose a hose pipe ban or water restrictions during the record-breaking heat last week. Higher demand for water creates supply problems for companies during the warmer temperatures, but despite the drop in water reserves, the firm is not yet concerned.
There are six main reservoirs that serve Bristol residents - Chew Valley Lake, Blagdon Lake, Cheddar Reservoir, Barrow Gurney Reservoirs, Litton Reservoirs and Chew Magna Reservoir. The supplier has said it has other reserves it can pull water into when levels drop lower than average.
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A spokesperson for Bristol Water said: "Rainfall this year has been below average and as a result reservoir storage is lower than normal. However, our modelling and forecasts do not indicate the need to impose hosepipe bans or any other water supply restrictions during 2022."
This comes as people in other parts of England are being encouraged to curb their water usage as the nation faces its driest season since 1976. On Tuesday, the Environment Agency’s National Drought Group, comprised of farming groups, environment experts and representatives from government agencies, met to discuss an action plan. They had been due to meet in October but the meeting was brought forward due to the drastic conditions.
Farmers are set to stop irrigating fields, causing fears of crop failure, and some areas in England are likely to face local hosepipe bans. Reservoirs are at record lows in some parts of the country, where rain has been below average for months.
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Bristol Water is still making steps to monitor the situation. The spokesperson added: "To ensure drought resilience, we will continue to enact our dry weather management plan. Over the coming months, we’ll prioritise and use other sources of available water and implement options to recover reservoir levels over the winter recharge period.
"We’re doing our bit by reducing leakage to the lowest level in the country; customers can see how they can do their bit by getting water-saving advice from our website and on our social media."
The supplier added it does not foresee any issues in supply to customers that make up around 500,000 residences. It has suggested people consider their water usage as both a cost and environmentally-effective way to get through the hotter seasons.
Bristol Water offers the following tips to help us all do our bit and protect our water resources:
- Use rainwater from a water butt and/or a watering can to water the garden
- Water the garden in the morning or evening when its coolest
- Avoid using hose pipes where possible
- Don’t water your lawn, it will bounce back in the rain
- Take short showers to cool down, not baths
- If possible, put full dishwashers and washing machines on overnight – this helps manage demand at peak times
- Apply for a free water meter – you could save money.
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