The sun is out and we're in drought

Thursday 20 April 2017

Islanders can forget about April showers as the Met Office has confirmed that Jersey is officially going through a drought - which means Jersey Water has already issued its first warning of the year for us to be careful how much water we use.

You may think the recent sunny weather is simply a case of summer being around the corner - however, with less rainfall than average over the past fortnight, reservoir levels are at 93% which is below normal for this time of year and Jersey Met has said the Island is in "absolute drought."

Jersey officially into meteorological absolute drought without measurable rain for 15 consecutive days. Last period of drought - Sept 2014. pic.twitter.com/DbSpR3JL44

— Jersey Met (@Jersey_Met) April 20, 2017

Now, as summer approaches and with the possibility of further periods of below average rainfall, Jersey Water are encouraging customers to reduce unnecessary water use - something which they say is of mutual benefit.

Helier Smith, Chief Executive at Jersey Water, said: “At this time of year, as the sun comes out, it is common to see an increase in the consumption of water around the home and in the garden.

“Activities such as watering the garden, washing the car or power washing can consume significant volumes of water. We would encourage customers to think about their water usage. A garden hose can use around 1,000 litres of water per hour – enough water to supply a family of four for three days.

“Our aim is to develop a wider understanding of the benefits of water efficiency and to help our customers reduce their water bills by being more aware of the water they are using. Small changes in habits can make a significant difference; saving our customers money and reducing the overall demand for water.

“Final commissioning and testing of the desalination plant upgrade will commence next week with a run of up to 30 days. Water produced by the plant will top up reservoir water levels. A further run of up to 60 days is planned for later in the year before the upgrade project is completed."

More information about how Islanders can reduce their water usage at home, school and work can be found on the States website here.