South West Water has faced criticism for advising families in the midst of a record-breaking May heatwave to use less water, despite reservoirs being at 90 per cent capacity. The water company, which covers Dorset, Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall, has urged parents to be conservative when filling paddling pools as temperatures soar to 35°C.
The advice comes after months of heavy rainfall earlier this year, with Cornwall experiencing its wettest winter since 1836 and parts of Somerset declaring a major incident due to severe flooding. Liz Northcott, 74, from Cornwall, expressed her frustration, stating that her great-grandchildren would not be limited to half measures in their paddling pool, questioning the need for water conservation given the lack of shortage.
South West Water defended its position, saying it encourages customers to “use water wisely” throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions. The company claimed that sudden spikes in hot weather strain the network, even when reservoir levels are healthy. This comes after water bosses were fined £24 million in March over sewage spills, raising questions about priorities.
Meanwhile, in southeast England, South East Water reported that demand surged by nearly 100 million litres above normal on Monday, leading to low pressure and outages in Kent and Sussex. The company stated that 670 million litres of drinking water were used, causing storage reservoirs to run low in parts of Kent. Tankers have been working around the clock to add water to the network, but some customers may experience intermittent supplies until temperatures drop.
