Southern Water issues warning amid risk of water shortage

Southern Water has sent emails to its customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, alerting them about the increasing pressure on water resources as temperatures are likely to rise.

The company has launched a new "water saving campaign" called "Make One Change!" As part of this initiative, Southern Water is giving customers four tips to conserve water.

The River Test at Chilbolton (Image: The Ambling Path)

First, they suggest swapping the hose for a watering can, as "a hosepipe can use up to 1,000 litres of drinking water every hour."

Next, they advise being "smart with paddling pools." One full pool uses the same amount of water as a family of four would use in an entire day.

Customers are urged to find other ways to cool down, or if using a pool, to reuse the water.

The third tip is to "let your lawn go gold." Brown grass does not mean dead grass, and it will naturally turn green when it rains again.

Finally, the company encourages customers to become "shower superheroes" by reducing shower time to just four minutes.

Tim McMahon, managing director for water, said: "The driest spring for more than 100 years, and the forecast for a hot summer ahead means our water resources are coming under increasing pressure – no more so than in Hampshire where the levels of the Test and Itchen rivers, which are the main sources of local water supplies, are falling.

"To protect these precious chalk streams and their delicate ecosystems, we are restricted on how much water we take from them.

"That’s why it is vital we reduce demand across the county so we can keep taps flowing, and this may involve introducing some restrictions on use if necessary."

Mr McMahon also mentioned some small changes that can make a big difference, such as taking shorter showers or turning off the tap while brushing teeth.

He added: "We have written to our customers to ask for their help and to offer more tips and information.

"We will continue to provide updates on our water resources as we move through the summer."

Regarding finding and fixing leaks, Mr McMahon said: "Meanwhile, our leakage teams continue to make inroads into finding and fixing leaks, fresh from a record-breaking year in which leakage fell by around 18 per cent, with nearly 21,000 leaks fixed in 12 months."

As temperatures rise, Southern Water aims to make these small changes to ensure a sustainable water supply.