The Environment Agency has today announced that the East and West Midlands have officially entered a drought following an extended period of hot weather and the driest June since 1976.

Photo: Low water levels at Blithfield Reservoir

The water level at Blithfield Reservoir, one of South Staffs Water’s main water sources, has dropped to 52.2%, much lower than the usual 72% for this time of year. River levels and groundwater supplies are also lower than usual.

In June, the warm weather caused a big increase in how much water the company’s customers used. An average of 365 million litres of water were used per day - 15% more than usual. Whilst this increased usage can be common across the summer, the unusually prolonged period of dry weather means that ground water, rivers and our reservoirs have not been replenished.

South Staffs Water is warning that it may have to put a temporary usage ban (TUB) (hosepipe ban) in place in its region if water levels do not improve.

The company is urging customers to think about their water use and look at ways they can cut back on non-essential activities.

Click here to read an Expert Focus article by Antonin Fradin, Head of Smart Operations and Assets for SUEZ Digital Solutions, which takes an in-depth look at how organisations tackle drought in an era of growing water scarcity.