How does summer impact your water supply

Most of us barely think about what it takes to make water come from the tap. Water is something we use every day, whether it’s snowing outside or baking hot.

However, as a water company we pay close attention to the seasons. We rely on winter rainfall to recharge our water resources, while hot weather increases demand for water. In our region, a rise in temperature can cause demand to rise from 160 million litres a day, to 220 million litres a day.

Why are there more bursts in hot weather?

A significant part of our area has clay as part of its underlying geology, specifically London Clay and Weald Clay. During periods of prolonged dry weather, the clay starts to dry out and move – adding pressure to our water mains. In some cases, this causes bursts and splits to pipes.

We use the term ‘soil-moisture deficit’ to describe the measurement of how ground dries out or becomes saturated after rain. We pay close attention to the soil-moisture deficit as it changes so that we can try to predict when there might be an increase in bursts.

As the bursts happen, our smart network raises alarms so that we can respond right away. Our teams are busier during these periods, so it might take us longer to get to some of the smaller leaks.

We will update our website if we are experiencing specific issues in a certain area. If you need extra help in the event of a water supply interruption, please contact us to discuss signing up to our Priority Services Register.

Managing the water supply

Your water is treated to make it clean and safe, and we are proud to have the best water quality record in England

As we manage the network to cope with high demand, or to fix bursts, the pipes can experience disruption. On some occasions this may cause subtle changes in the appearance or taste of the water. You can contact us if you are concerned about your water or visit our website to understand if works in your area may have affected the appearance of your water.

You can help by being careful with water

You can help us to manage demand by being careful with water. You can still do everything you normally do in a day, but small changes to your habits can make a big difference overall. For example, try keeping your shower to around four minutes or wash vegetables in a bowl rather than under the tap.

We provide water saving products and advice for free – read more tips on how to Save Water this summer.