Water company advises customers to 'share baths' amid summer drought warning
The Environment Agency has said there is a medium risk of drought this summer, with Northumbrian Water asking customers to be 'mindful' of their water usage.
In a social media post, the company suggested seeking alternatives to a 'typical bath' to save water ahead of a possible drought.
"For example," Northumbrian Water said, "you might have a shallow bath and fill it up 'just enough'.
"Or be a family who is happy to share bath water so more than one person benefits from it."
It comes as pictures show the River Skerne in Darlington at a low level, with the river bed exposed in places, while Cod Beck Reservoir in North Yorkshire has reportedly seen levels fall in recent days.
(Image: Northumbrian Water on Facebook) Kieran Ingram, water director at Northumbrian Water, said: "The sunshine and prolonged hot dry weather means we have seen an increase in demand for water recently.
"Although we're used to managing demand, we still need customers to play their part by using water wisely, so that we can continue to manage supplies and keep the water flowing."
He added: "If you do decide to use things like these, make sure you get the best out of them, for example, if you're using a standard paddling pool this weekend without chlorine, you can re-use the water afterwards to water your plants or wash your car.
"Even small changes can make a big difference, so make sure you're doing all you can to be mindful this summer."
The provider also asked the public to be cautious with use of paddling pools, hot tubs, and garden watering.
(Image: Peter Reimann) The River Skerne in Darlington is at a low level currently.Dave Kaye, director of water service delivery at Yorkshire Water, said: "We've just had the driest February, March and April in Yorkshire for almost 90 years and have seen less than 1% of long term average rainfall in the region during May.
"We're continuing to monitor rainfall and have plans in place for a range of circumstances in the short-, medium- and long-term, which includes possible usage restrictions if we don't get any significant rainfall.
'Water usage has been higher than normal due to the warmer weather we've experienced and we're carefully managing water resources across the region using our grid network to move water around, as well as investing £38m by 2030 to reduce leakage as much as possible, and investing £406m to lay new water mains in the next five years to reduce leakage."
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Both water companies has suggested several ways to help save water, including taking shorter showers, using a watering can instead of a hose, and using the eco setting on washing machines and dishwashers.
The company also encourages the public to report any leaks they spot, as warm weather can cause pipe damage.
Northumbrian Water's leakage is at its lowest ever, but the company is not being complacent and will continue to find and fix leaks in the water network.
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