Thames Water issue warning to save water as heatwave continues

High demand for water expected again as temperatures climb amid crackdown on leakage

With temperatures set to soar beyond 30 degrees again this weekend, Thames Water is reminding its customers to use water wisely and report leaks to help keep taps flowing.

Throughout July, demand for water surged with Britain’s biggest water company pumping an extra 450 million litres of water a day into the network, an extra 17 per cent.

Dozens of extra teams also hit the streets to find and fix leaks on its own network, with more than 1,000 a week being repaired, while also offering to fix leaks on customer pipes for free.

In contrast, demand across the company’s region fell by 10 per cent last weekend during the damp and cooler weather but with the mercury set to hit 30 degrees again, Thames is asking customers to save water wherever they can.

Andrew Tucker, water efficiency manager at Thames Water, said: “There is plenty of water to go around, but the sheer volume of water being used all at the same time across our 20,000km of pipes means it’s a challenge for us to produce it quick enough to meet demand.

“The connection between weather and demand for water is obvious and has been proven by the recent heatwave and last weekend’s cooler temperatures. We’re fully expecting demand to increase again this weekend as people use paddling pools to cool down, take longer showers and water their gardens.

“We don’t want to stop anyone enjoying our water but instead urge everyone to make some really small changes like using paddling pool water to give the plants a drink, and using a watering can instead of a hose or sprinkler.”

Thames Water’s top tips for saving water are to turn the tap off while brushing your teeth, fix leaky loos and dripping taps, use a watering can instead of a hosepipe, put off washing the car until the heatwave is over and use the dishwasher and washing machine only when full.

In addition to using water sparingly, the company is also asking customers to report any new leaks they may see on roads and pavements so they can be assessed and fixed.

The firm is currently fixing more than 1,000 a week, including leaks on pipes within private property boundaries which are legally the responsibility of the property owner, but which Thames fixes for free. During a two week period last month, the firm fixed around 150 leaks on customer properties.

Thames Water is also visiting homes, businesses and high-use customers across its region to offer water saving advice and fix small internal leaks on taps and toilets. It recently fixed dozens of leaks in one large Aylesbury hotel alone, and estimates the visits are saving more than five million litres of water every day.