Water firms see 'extraordinary' demand in heatwave

Water providers across the west are urging customers to use water responsibly "for the benefit of everyone".

They warned that an "extraordinary" demand due to the hot weather could see a drop in water pressure and potentially affect the taste of water.

But Bristol Water told people not to worry, adding "this will return to normal as temperatures start to cool".

At this time, providers said they are not expecting to bring in restrictions.

Bristol Water, which supplies about 500,000 homes and businesses in the city and surrounding counties, said: "With the weather getting warmer, you may experience a drop in water pressure, especially during peak times."

It said water supplies might be temporarily redirected so customers' water comes from different treatment works or reservoirs than usual.

"This may mean you notice your water tastes a little bit different to normal," it added.

The company said that as a result of the hot weather there has been an increase in water use as people try to cool down with showers, hoses and paddling pools.

"During this heatwave we're asking everyone to please consider your water use and whether it's essential," it added.

Meanwhile, Thames Water had reported no water and low pressure in the GL7 and GL54 areas of Gloucestershire, but the issue was resolved in the early hours of Monday.

Water use in the Thames Water area soared to its highest level for over 25 years over the weekend, currently using an extra 300 million litres of water a day, it said.

Andrew Tucker, water demand reduction manager for Thames Water, told BBC Radio 4: "We know exactly how much water we have got in the system, and that is both in our rivers and underground, and also how much is in our reservoirs, we balance that with how much demand we are seeing from homes and businesses, but at the moment, that demand is at near record levels.

"We are going through it faster than we would like... so we are faced with the challenge of can we make water fast enough."

But Mr Tucker said while peak demand at the moment is "extraordinary" they are not expecting to introduce restrictions at this time and said they are "doing pretty well" overall.

The company said it was doing all it can to help keep taps running, despite the massive demand for water.

On its website, it said this included using tankers to pump extra water where it is needed most, diverting teams from planned work to fixing problems on our pipe network and sending more of its teams to find and fix leaks.

A spokesperson for Wessex Water, which services the south west of England, including most of Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire, said: "There are no supply problems in the Wessex Water region but we always encourage our customers to use water responsibly for the benefit of everyone and the environment."

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]