“Shower less and save water for tourists. Brilliant.”
.
We are being encouraged to use less water:
People in Devon and Cornwall have been told to cut down their shower time in order to leave enough water for tourists. It comes as the counties prepare for a summer influx of holidaymakers who are set to make their way down to the south coast for a busy season.
Shower less and save water for tourists, people in Devon and Cornwall told – Devon Live
So says SWW, as reported in today’s Mail:
Cornwall and Devon residents have been told to take shorter showers to cope with a huge number of visitors this summer. Locals there will have to save five litres of water a day to stop reservoirs from running dry, South West Water (SWW) has said. The water company said heatwaves, more people moving to the region and a boom in staycations in the west country during the pandemic were to blame for the pressure on water this summer.
And by ITV:
A South West Water spokesperson said: “We closely monitor our reservoirs all-year round to ensure we have enough water for all our customers and up to 10 million additional users as people come to enjoy the beautiful South West over the summer months. We always ask customers to think about their water usage to not just help save water but also help keep bills down. On average, a person uses 150 litres of tap water a day, and if every one of our customers saved just 5 litres a day, that would total 10 million litres saved.”
The Mirror reports on the ‘locals’:
Locals reacted to the suggestion on social media, with one writing: “Shower less and save water for tourists. Brilliant.”
Another posted: “Oh yeah? What so the holiday homes can have their hot-tubs and jacuzzis and swimming pools??!!”
And a third added: “Telling us to save water for tourists is making us want to use more.”
Customers were reminded that it has been a dry start to the summer with “demand for taps higher than normal”, reports The Telegraph.
UK heatwave: Locals miffed after being told to ‘save water for tourists’ – Mirror Online
This all on top of further pressures facing SWW from a couple of weeks ago:
Ofwat investigates South West Water over sewage discharge – BBC News