Monday 16 August 2010

United Utilities hosepipe ban saves 3.3 billion litres

United Utilities customers have cut demand by 3.3 billion litres in response to the hosepipe ban, the company said.
 
The company said the hosepipe ban would remain in force, despite recent rain boosting water supply in the firm's Cumbrian and Welsh reservoirs. These are now at the levels expected for the time of year.  This effects both residential and business water customers.
 
The company's Pennine reservoirs, which supply around a third of United Utilities' customers, did not receive the same amount of rainfall.These reservoirs are currently only 54 per cent full overall, compared to 68 per cent in a typical year.
 
Dr. Richard Blackwell, supply demand manager, said: "All the rain we've had has definitely made a difference and generally our reservoirs are in a much healthier state, apart from those in the Pennines. To ease the pressure on our Pennine sources and help them recover more quickly we are using our integrated pipe network to bring in more water from Cumbria and North Wales. We will lift the hosepipe ban as soon as we can, when the reservoirs have recovered to a point where we are sure their storage will meet the needs of the North West."
 
The Environment Agency said: "More rain is required to help refill the reservoirs on the Pennines and the drought is not over. With a return to dry conditions we could see these reservoirs start dropping again soon."
 
It added it was monitoring East Anglia closely. The area received between half and two thirds of the average monthly rain total in July.
Both Severn Trent and Essex and Suffolk Water have asked customers to use water wisely.

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