Skip baths and don't wash your car: Water shortage hits hard as heatwave intensifies

As the temperatures hot up, we’re being urged to skip baths by water companies worried that supplies will run out.

This has already become a reality for residents of Shropshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire, some of whom have been left temporarily without water.

Water supplier Severn Trent says it has ramped up production at its treatment works, but is still struggling to cope with the demand brought on by the heatwave.

The company is asking people to ditch their garden sprinklers, opt for showers instead of baths and avoid washing their cars in a bid to conserve supplies.

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Doug Clarke, Severn Trent’s water efficiency expert, said: “We need people to think about how they’re using water – using a sprinkler might green up your lawn but that water would be better used for drinking or washing.

“This is all about being neighbourly. Just think about whether you’re making the absolute best of the drinking water we’re producing for you and your neighbours.

He added that Severn Water had produced 300 million more litres than usual on Wednesday, “but our pipes are can only carry so much water. And that’s why we just need people to think long and hard about their water usage while this hot weather continues.”

Other firms are also struggling to cope, including South Staffs Water, Anglian Water and United Utilities, which serves the north west.