West Midlands reservoir classed as ‘notably low’ by Environment Agency - when it could rain in West Midlands
The Environment Agency has classed a Staffordshire reservoir as ‘notably low’.
A West Midlands reservoir has been classed as ‘notably low’ by the Environment Agency.
The West Midlands was declared in drought by the agency on Wednesday 29 July.
Blithfield reservoir operated by South Staffs Water is one of seven reservoirs that have been classed as ‘notably low’.
The Environment Agency says continued high demand connected to the persistent above average temperatures has seen reservoir storage fall throughout England.
‘Notably low’ reservoirs
- Grafham Water operated by Anglian Water
- Blithfield reservoir operated by South Staffs Water
- Clywedog operated by Hafren Dyfrdwy under direction of the Environment Agency and National Resources Wales
- The Dove reservoir group operated by Severn Trent Water
- Ardingly Reservoir operated by South East Water
- The Lower Thames reservoirs operated by Thames Water
- Clatworthy Lake operated by Wessex Water
Three reservoirs have been classed as ‘exceptionally low’ for the time of year.
‘Exceptionally low’ reservoirs
- Blagdon, operated by Bristol Water
- Wimbleball, operated by South West Water
- Hanningfield, operated by Essex and Suffolk Water
There are no hospice bans currently in place for the West Midlands, but both Severn Trent Water and South Staffs Water have advised people to use water wisely.
Gareth Mead, River Ranger Manager at Severn Trent Water, said: "We've not had a hosepipe ban in our area for 30 years. We don't want to have one and be killjoys and be the Grinch of summer.
"It's a case of use your water wisely and sparingly. There are areas of concern that are trigger levels, and we're keeping our eye on an area in Staffordshire. The big users of water are things like sprinklers and hosepipes, so we'd ask people not to use them as much. It's simple things. Like stack your dishwasher - make sure it's full. When you have got surplus water, use it from the sink to water your plants.
"We're carefully monitoring it and are constantly reviewing our plans."
Last month, South Staffs Water asked customers to use water for “essential purposes only at this time” to reduce the risk of a hosepipe ban being introduced.
The company says using water for “essential purposes only” includes allowing lawns to go brown, avoiding washing cars, using a watering can only when essential in the garden, taking shorter showers and having fewer baths.
When it could rain in the West Midlands
Mark Sidaway, Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, said: “The forecast is showing potential for more rain than much of the UK has experienced over the last few weeks.
“However, it looks as though amounts of rain for many will be fairly modest, and won't balance out the shortfall that we have recorded this summer. It’s still possible that some areas of the south will miss out and see little or no rainfall.”
The Met Office expects the weather in the West Midlands to remain mostly dry at the weekend (1 August and 2 August), but says from Monday (3 August) to Wednesday (5 August) there is an “increasing chance of showers”.