Water companies are urging individuals to use water more cautiously during the coronavirus lockdown. They are asking people to avoid hoses and sprinklers, and to not fill paddling pools.
Nevertheless, up to now, a full hosepipe prohibition has not been imposed.
Companies are responding to a double water whammy from the record dry spring and a surge in demand as people spend longer time during the lockdown.
February in 2020 was the wettest on record and you may have thought the united kingdom had sufficient H2O – following a drenching winter, rivers and reservoirs were full.
But then it barely rained for 3 subsequent months – another record.
Then came coronavirus and lockdown meant people stayed at home in the sunshine.
Christine McGourty, chief executive of Water UK, which represents water companies, told BBC News: “We’re seeing truly incredible surges of demand.
“People’s patterns of using water have changed with the weather – and more people at home because of Covid.
“It’s things like paddling pools and sprinklers that are the biggest challenge. So we’re just asking people to save a little bit of water and that’ll make a huge difference.”
In some places water demand is claimed to be 25% more than normal. Reservoirs are still during a healthy state, but some firms can’t get sufficient amount of water to the taps and pressure is dropping.
Meanwhile the long-term weather prediction suggests more dry summer months to come.
Farmers are fearing potential drought. In fact, experts say, consumers, industries, water firms and also the farmers themselves need to find ways of living with less water due to the climate changes.
