As England gears up for its World Cup showdown with Norway, Severn Trent is preparing for a very different kind of pressure: a massive surge in water demand.
The utility company says customers across the East Midlands are already using significantly more water during the summer’s third heatwave, with a staggering 203 million extra litres consumed in a single day this week. On average, people are now getting through an additional 44 litres of water every day.
With temperatures set to hit the low 30Cs this weekend, Severn Trent says crews will be working around the clock to keep supplies flowing — and is asking customers to think twice about how much water they’re using.
“It’s the third heatwave of the summer with no rain expected and we’re seeing people use much more water for longer periods than usual,” said network operations lead Howard Perry. “Whilst we don’t have any restrictions in place, we’d really welcome everyone’s support to be mindful of water use.”
The company says the usual evening spike in demand is lasting far longer than normal. Rather than tailing off around 9pm, high water usage is now continuing until 1am, as households stay up later and try to keep cool.
And with England kicking off against Norway at 10pm on Saturday, Severn Trent is expecting another surge. If previous matches are anything to go by, demand could dip at kick-off before leaping again at half-time and full-time, when fans head to the kettle, grab a glass of water or make a quick dash to the bathroom.
During England’s 2am clash with Mexico, water demand rose by 1.54 million litres above what would normally be expected on a Monday morning. The team’s first 9pm match against Croatia triggered the now-familiar pattern of tea breaks, toilet trips and late-night showers.
The company says that during the first two heatwaves of the summer it was treating an additional 400 million litres of water every day — more than 20 percent above normal demand.
While there are currently no restrictions anywhere in the Severn Trent region, customers in north Staffordshire are being urged to take extra care after the area reached its first water-resources trigger due to the prolonged dry spell.
“We understand people want to care for their gardens, but grass will bounce back once the rain returns,” said Perry.
The message is simple: enjoy the football, stay hydrated and keep cool — but maybe save that second hosepipe session for another day. With another scorcher on the cards and temperatures expected to remain around 20C even at kick-off, Severn Trent says every little bit helps.
