The firm that provides water supplies to Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge has this week said it has no plans to introduce a hosepipe ban in our area despite one of the driest winters on record.
Across the West country, reservoir levels and rainfall are down by up to a fifth on average.
However, Bristol Water says Cheddar Reservoir, which supplies Burnham, is 93 per cent full due to improved water management measures.
The firm’s spokesman Jeremy Williams said: “Bristol Water does not have a drought and is not currently planning a hose ban.”
“However, we are urging customers to be sensible over water use and avoid wasting a precious resource. Whatever is wasted today could well be much needed later in the summer.”
He added: “Bristol Water is concerned that the reservoirs have stopped refilling as they normally do before the Spring. Effectively, the reservoir recharge has ended two months earlier than usual.”
“It would take significant, sustained rainfall over the next month to improve the position. The company is monitoring the situation carefully. In addition, we have restarted water transfer from the River Severn to conserve reservoir stocks.”
“If certain trigger points in our planning are reached in the coming weeks, then we will need to issue appeals to cut water use and, ultimately, consider hose bans.”
Total rainfall for December was 108.2 mm (102% of the average), but in January, 77 mm was recorded when the standard average for the whole month is 94 mm. In February, rainfall was just 23 mm, or 34% of the expected average. So far in March, 19.8 mm of rain has been recorded when the average for the whole month is 76 mm.
