‘Don’t waste water’ call in Wales as tourism surge and hot weather lead to increased demand

Welsh Water have called on customers to ensure that they don’t waste any water as a surge in ‘staycations’ and hot weather leads to greater demand.

The company said that water consumption has rocketed to near-record levels over the past 27 hours due to both the weather and also the number of people choosing to holiday in Wales this year.

Over the last three days, Welsh Water has had to supply an additional 15 million litres of water per day, they said.

With 23 million people in Britain expected to staycation this year, Welsh Water predicts that there will be a 10% to 20% increase in between now and the end of September, depending on weather and tourist numbers.

As a result, the company has ramped up production at its water treatment works so that they are producing enough clean water to keep up with the demand, and asked customers to make sure they don’t waste any.

Regional work is also taking place to prepare popular tourism areas such as Pembrokeshire, Gwynedd and Ceredigion for the influx of visitors.

Ian Christie, Managing Director of Water, Asset Planning and Capital Delivery Services said: “As a company, we usually expect a surge in demand during summer months and we are proactive in how we adjust our operations during this time.

“This summer will be different due to the amount of people planning to holiday in Wales and meeting this demand will naturally bring some additional challenges for the company.

“Naturally we welcome holidaymakers to Wales and want them to enjoy their time here but it will mean we need to stretch the water around more people than usual. That is why we are already taking big steps to ensure we as a company are as fully prepared as possible.”

‘Play their part’

As part of getting ready for a surge in demand Welsh Water is also offering hints and tips to customers to help them play their part in helping avoid wasting water. These include:

• Don’t leave the tap running while washing hands or brushing teeth
• Take a shower instead of a bath
• Wait until the washing machine and dishwasher are full before putting them on
• Don’t fill the paddling pool to the top – and when you’ve finished, use the water on the plants in the garden
• Don’t use a sprinkler on the lawn to keep it green – the colour will soon come back once it rains

Businesses are also being asked to make an extra effort not to waste water, particularly caravan parks, golf courses and farms.

“We need our customers and those visiting Wales to play their part too by being mindful of how they use water and most importantly don’t waste any of it,” Ian Christie said.

“We’re working with caravan parks to provide as much water efficiency information as possible. By working together in this way we have the best chance of making sure there is enough water for everyone for the entire summer period.

“And let’s not forget that customers and visitors can also help by letting us know if they spot a leak when they are out and about in Wales. The sooner we are told then the sooner we can send a team out to fix it”.