Water firms see demand rise by up to a third during lockdown

Water companies have seen demand rise by as much as third above normal daily averages as more people spend time at home during unseasonably warm spring months.

Networks have come under pressure to treat and supply water as quickly as it is being used.

Companies have reported a surge in usage, which they attribute to the impact of the dry weather rather than lockdown, including South Staffs customers using 100 million litres more each day than average. At Affinity the figure is 108 million litres extra – the equivalent of an extra 400,000 extra people.

Southern Water, which edged close to enforcing a hosepipe ban last summer when it applied for a drought permit from the Environment Agency, said it has seen a spike in demand caused by a combination of the hot weather and more people at home during lockdown.

Usage increases between 10-20 per cent during lockdown in Southern’s area are similar to the patterns seen by SES Water, which said demand habits have shifted indicating changes to people’s daily routine.

The increased usage comes in an exceptionally dry period, with rainfall below average since the end of March and May being reported as the driest since 1896.

Data from the Environment Agency showed rainfall for April as 50 per cent of the long-term average for England and cumulative rainfall totals for May ranged from 5 per cent of the monthly long-term average in the south east to 16 per cent in the north east of England.

The EA said groundwater levels fell to within a normal range as the warmth of April dried out sites left waterlogged by winter flooding.

Reservoir storage levels in the north west saw the most dramatic fall with a 20 per cent reduction and in the north east stocks were exceptionally low for the time of year, however the EA said other parts of the country had “normal or higher” stocks at more than half the reservoir sites.

United Utilities said that although reservoir levels are a little low for the time of year it was to be expected after a dry spring.

It reported higher than normal customer demand due to the weather and more people spending time at home, which has affected water pressure.

The company said that in some places at peak times they cannot physically get the high volume of water through the pipes as quickly as people are using it and consequently there have been noticeable dips in water pressure for some.

Efficiency needed more than ever

Affinity echoed that heavy rainfall over the autumn and winter mean reserves are well stocked, but has urged consumers to be mindful of their usage even though a hosepipe ban is not anticipated.

The company behind the #WhyNotWater campaign has issued tips and reminders to billpayers because PCC of 150 litres per person a day is above the national average of 141 litres. Ofwat set the company a reduction target of 12.5 per cent by 2025 as well as lowering leakage by 20 per cent.

Affinity’s #WhyNotWater, which is fully supported by Utility Week and aligns with our own objectives for a joined up national campaign around efficiency, has gained national traction including expert gardeners calling for drought labels to be included on all plants.

Following the autumn and winter of heavy rainfall, Southern also said its water resource levels are strong across most of its region, however the change in weather presented a network challenge.

Ben Earl, head of water efficiency at Southern, said: “In hot weather the issue that can emerge for us is that people use water faster than we can treat it and put through the pipes. In addition to the demand surge in current hot weather, usage patterns are already affected by lockdown and people have been using more water than normal.”

South Staffs’ wholesale director, Pete Aspley agreed, saying: “We believe watering gardens, cleaning cars with hosepipes or getting the paddling pool out is behind the increase in water we’ve seen over the last few days, we are asking customer to support our Water Wise message.”

The company is offering a range of water saving devices and seeds for plants that do not need much water.

South West Water also reported lower than average total reservoir stocks at 86.7 per cent compared to 84.2 per cent this time last year.

The company said it is closely monitoring the situation as it heads into the rest of the summer and issuing advice to consumers about using water wisely.

Waterwise reported reaching more than 3.5 million people with messages from Water Saving Week earlier this month that taught the public about how water efficiency is beneficial for reducing carbon as well as saving money and protecting the environment.

Utility Week’s own efficiency campaign, Mind the Tap, examines how we can overturn public apathy about the need to reduce water consumption. Mind the Tap aims to unite the water sector in a common cause, unlock the right messages to connect with consumers and set out clear demands for government.