Is the UK facing a water shortage?

Households have been warned by water companies to cut their water usage or risk taps running dry as the UK battles a scorching two-day heatwave.

Swathes of England have been issued with the Met Office’s first ever red extreme weather warning today, as temperatures are expected to beat the UK’s record of 38.7C, set in Cambridge in 2019, climbing as high as 40C on Tuesday. The UK could therefore be “hotter than Tamanrasset in the Sahara”, said the Daily Mirror.  

With a “sweltering” heatwave gripping the nation, water companies are worried about the high demand for supplies and have suggested a range of ways to save water over the coming days. 

Saving water

Yorkshire Water, which supplies more than 5 million people, has recommended that its customers take four-minute showers to help limit supply disruptions and has even suggested a playlist of songs “to help with time management”, said the Mirror. 

Anglican Water has been slightly more generous to its 6 million customers, suggesting they take five-minute showers, avoid washing their cars and to “learn to love a brown lawn”. Meanwhile, Severn Trent has requested that its customers turn the tap off when they brush their teeth.

There has already been some disruption to water supplies in Essex, London and Surrey, where Affinity Water has asked customers to manage their usage. The company has “estimated that an extra 164 million litres will be required for Monday alone in comparison to usual demand”, said the paper, as temperatures are set to reach record levels. 

On Sunday, residents in Norfolk were stranded without water “for more than 30 hours following a burst pipe”, reported the Mirror, forcing people to join long queues at water collection points.

Thames Water, the UK’s largest water supplier, has said it is taking a number of measures to “help keep taps running” as it is hit with massive demand, including “using tankers to pump extra water where it’s needed most” and delaying planned work so that teams can fix water pipes should problems occur in the coming days.  

Hosepipe ban looms?

Water companies have warned that temporary water usage bans could be considered this summer to protect supplies “if the hot spell lingers and households continue to strain resources”, said the i news site. 

Article source: https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/uk-news/957386/is-the-uk-facing-a-water-shortage