RESIDENTS in and around Chester have been thanked by water bosses for playing their part during the hosepipe ban.
Despite heavy rainfall, United Utilities, which supplies to homes in Kelsall, Tarvin, Handley, Tattenhall, Malpas and Ellesmere Port has not lifted hosepipe restrictions.
The water company has however thanked residents for doing their bit to save a staggering 3.3 billion litres in the month since the ban was put in place – the equivalent of 16 baths worth per household.
Meanwhile, welcome rainfall over recent weeks is helping the reservoirs to refill. In Cumbria and north Wales reservoirs have recovered well and now are back to the levels expected for the time of year.
In the Pennines the outlook is not as positive, after reservoirs were recently measured as being only 54 per cent full overall, compared to 68 per cent in a typical year.
The Pennines reservoirs supply around one third of the region’s water and are the reason the hosepipe ban will remain in place in all the areas currently affected by the ban, say bosses.
Dr Richard Blackwell, United Utilities’ supply demand manager, said: “We are very grateful to our customers for their continuing efforts to save water. After the rain over the last few weeks it is easy to forget that the first seven months of the year were the driest since our records began.
“All the rain we’ve had has definitely made a difference and generally our reservoirs are in a much healthier state, apart from those in the Pennines. To ease the pressure on our Pennine sources and help them recover more quickly we are using our integrated pipe network to bring in more water from Cumbria and north Wales.
“We will lift the hosepipe ban as soon as we can, when the reservoirs have recovered to a point where we are sure their storage will meet the needs of the North West.”
Measures like using a dishwasher or washing machine with a full load, turning off the tap while brushing teeth, or fitting a save-a-flush device in the toilet cistern have been advised to customers to help to save water.
For a free Water Savers pack contact United Utilities on 0845 746 2200 or visit www.unitedutilities.com