The hot summer days we’re experiencing might be great if you’re a sunbather, but they pose challenges for the region’s water resources.
Reservoirs and resilience
When it’s hot and dry, less water goes into our reservoirs. On top of this, higher temperatures tend to increase demand for water as people have more showers, wash clothes more often and get the paddling pools out.
Bristol Water is taking steps to increase water resilience, which means the ability to ensure there is enough water to go around, even with setbacks like long dry periods.
Why are water resources under pressure?
Climate change is impacting the weather, bringing hotter summers and less predictable seasons. By 2050, summers in the South West will be on average 2-3 degrees hotter than today, with at least 20 days a year of extreme heat. The hot, dry summer of 2022 had a strong impact on river flows, reservoir stocks and groundwater levels, but by 2050 the chance of summers reaching 2022 temperatures will be 50%.
On top of this, population growth means demand for water is increasing. There will be 230,000 more people living and working within Bristol Water’s service area by 2050.
When water resources run low, the impact on wildlife can be devastating. Long dry periods also bring difficult choices for us as a water company – we need to ensure there’s enough water to go around.
What are we doing to improve water resilience?
We can’t control how much rain falls, but there are other steps we can take to increase the region’s water resilience.
Firstly, we’re tackling leaks on both our part of the network and on customer pipework. Addressing leaks is an ongoing task – ground movement, temperature changes, corrosion and tree roots are just some of the factors that can cause leaks.
We’re reducing leakage (the volume of water lost to leaks) by 20% compared to 2025 levels by 2027, building year-on-year until leakage is cut by 50% in 2050. As well as finding and fixing leaks on our part of the network, we also support customers with leaks at home. For example, you can get free leaky loo strips that help detect toilet leaks by taking a short questionnaire.
How you can help
Just when we need to conserve water as the temperature rises, typically we see usage rise. Some of this extra water is used to keep gardens looking green. There are lots of ways you can care for your garden in summer without using lots of water – from getting a water butt to planting drought-resistant flowers and positioning your plants carefully. See our summer gardening blog for more ideas.
Simple changes at home can also help to save water. For example, washing your car with a hosepipe can use up to 300 litres of water, but using a bucket and sponge might use only around 30 litres, even with a few changes of water. You can also swap baths for showers or use a washing up bowl instead of a running tap to clean dishes. See our water-saving tips pages for more ideas.
