Guernsey Water is asking islanders to be mindful of their water usage, as the warm weather has caused the largest drop in reservoir levels in a single week.
In the final week of July, water reserves fell by 89 million litres – the largest drop this year – and by 86 million litres last week.
Current demand is averaging 14.2 million litres a day, which is 700,000 more litres than Guernsey Water forecast for the summer.
Daffyd Griffiths, Water Quality Risk Manager at Guernsey Water, said: “The prolonged dry weather means we’re seeing very little replenishment of our reservoirs from streams and demand remains higher than we would normally expect because of the prolonged hot and dry conditions.”
In the last week of July, stream collection fell to 11 million litres – half of the week before – but this recovered last week to 18 million litres.
Reservoir storage levels are currently around 4% lower than they were last year, 5% below their 5-year average and 7% below their 10-year average.
‘Simple actions make a real difference’
While Mr Griffiths said “a hosepipe ban is not currently being considered”, Guernsey Water is asking islanders to be mindful with their use.
Mr Griffiths explained: “Simple actions taken by individuals and households can make a real difference when multiplied across the island.
“Whether that’s avoiding unnecessary hosepipe use, taking shorter showers or being mindful of day-to-day water use, those small changes help us stretch supplies for longer while these dry conditions continue.
“Your lawn will recover, your car can stay dusty for a little longer and small changes around the home really do add up.
“Every one of us has a role to play in protecting the island’s water resources, particularly when dry conditions persist for an extended period.”
