Portsmouth Water are asking everyone to keep water for essential use only for the duration of the the heatwave.

The water company said the current heatwave we are experiencing, combined with Covid-19 restrictions and people taking ‘staycations’, is resulting in a record breaking demand for water this week.

The demand is putting strain the system and threatens to leave some customers without water as pipes reach capacity and cannot physically allow enough water through them fast enough for everyone’s use.

Portsmouth Water is asking its customers to show some restraint and only to use water for essential purposes for the next few days, to ensure there is enough water to go around, including refraining from using hosepipes and garden sprinklers until the heatwave has passed.