350 words - South West Water is asking customers, businesses and visitors to the region for their continued support in using water wisely as we head into summer.
With climate change bringing more prolonged hot and dry weather conditions, as seen last month and so far this month with lower than average rainfall across the South West, reservoir levels across the region have been unable to fully recharge ahead of the peak summer demand.
Colliford Reservoir, which dropped to around 15% last year, is currently around 2% higher than this time last year, while Roadford Reservoir currently has nearly 16% less water than the same time in 2022.
South West Water is investing £125 million in its water resources to secure resilience through desalination solutions, installing new pipelines and repurposing quarries. By 2025, it aims to significantly increase its water resources by 45% in Cornwall and 30% in Devon.
Meanwhile, the company continues to urge everyone across the region to change the way we think about water usage.
South West Water’s Save Every Drop campaign is encouraging and supporting customers, businesses and tourists across the region in reducing non-essential water usage to help protect water supplies, by highlighting how small every day changes in our water use habits can have an extraordinary impact on reducing daily demand, cutting bills for those on a water meter and helping to protect our natural environment.
Through the campaign customers can discover tips and hints on how to reduce water usage and claim a range of free water-saving devices from shower regulators and timers, to bufaloo bags and leaky loo detectors.
As visitors to the South West play a big part in the increased demand over the summer, South West Water is also working with holiday parks and tourists to help them recognise their role in protecting water supplies and the beautiful environment they love to visit.