We really need your help. We're proud to serve your local community with reliable, clean drinking water and we are working hard to keep supplies flowing to homes and businesses. Although temperatures have dipped slightly today, the prolonged hot, dry weather and record levels of demand across our supply region mean we still need your help to protect water supplies.
We are asking all customers to please use water for essential purposes only at this time. This will help us maintain supplies, protect the local environment and reduce the risk of temporary restrictions, such as a hosepipe ban, being introduced across our region.
You may have seen that temporary hosepipe bans have already been introduced in other parts of England. We are doing everything we can to avoid this in South Staffordshire, but if demand remains at the very high levels seen over the past week, restrictions may become necessary.

Why demand is such a challenge

Our customers typically use around 330 million litres of water a day - enough to fill more than 2.2 million baths. In recent weeks, demand has exceeded 415 million litres a day, an increase of 26%, which is the equivalent of an extra 800,000 baths every day. This level of demand cannot be sustained for a prolonged period.
We are doing our bit too. We've been investing significantly to improve the water network in the region (we’re spending £702m over the next five years to upgrade your water services) and we haven't had water restrictions here for decades. 
Our teams are working around the clock to maintain supplies, but local water resources are now under significant pressure. During periods of extreme demand, water can be used faster than it can be treated and moved around the network. This can lead to low pressure and, in some cases, interruptions to supply.

How you can help

We are asking you to avoid all non-essential water use at this time.

This includes allowing lawns to go brown - they will recover, avoiding washing cars, and using a watering can only where essential in the garden. The wellbeing of our customers is important, so if it's difficult for you to carry a watering can, please use a hosepipe, as sparingly as possible. Taking shorter showers and having fewer baths can also make a big difference.

Small changes by each household really do add up to millions of litres of water saved and can help protect supplies for everyone.

Find out how you can save water

 
What we are doing

Our teams are working hard day and night to produce as much clean drinking water as possible, and our leakage teams are working additional hours to find and fix leaks quickly.
We know it can be frustrating to see a leak and feel that it has not been fixed straight away. Every leak that is reported to us is assessed as quickly as possible, and we then have to prioritise repairs based on how much water is being lost, the risk to supply to wider communities, and the work needed to carry out the repair safely.
If our teams aren't immediately out in the highways fixing smaller leaks, they may likely be dealing with larger underground leaks nearby that are losing highest volumes of water but may be harder to see from ground level. Some repairs also require road closures, permits or specialist teams, and we are working closely with local authorities to complete these as quickly and safely as possible.
Thank you for doing your bit to help protect water supplies - it is hugely appreciated. We know we are asking customers to make changes during a very warm and dry period, and we really appreciate your support. By using water only where it is essential, you can help us keep taps running, protect the local environment and reduce the risk of further restrictions