More bottled water handed out as Severn Trent encourages showers over baths
Residents are being asked to shower instead of taking a bath after a town was hit with three days of water supply problems.
Severn Trent Water has issued the plea after restoring water supplies in Much Wenlock following three days of low pressure, or no water at all.
The company has blamed the increased demand caused by the warm weather.
It says its treatment plants were not able to cope with the demand, leading to shortages believed to have been caused by air in the system.
It comes after thousands of people were left without water in Telford yesterday. Supplies are now back on for all customers, but some people in Telford still had cloudy water or low pressure on Wednesday evening.
Much Wenlock Councillor David Turner said he had told the company "that residents’ patience is wearing very thin and so is their belief in the assurances you’re giving them”.
Councillor Turner said the company had assured him they have “highlighted the issue to the very top of the organisation, and will do again”.
He said the problems has recurred every evening, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, despite reassurances from the company.
He said: "Clearly there is a problem with their infrastructure.
"The fact that they were not ready for this, it strikes me that there is a serious problem with Severn Trent in the area and they need to up their game.
"People generally are very reluctant to take any assurances from Severn Trent seriously but I am very pleased that they have set up stations to hand out bottled water.
In the wake of the disruption Severn Trent is today handing out bottled water in Bridgnorth and Much Wenlock. Yesterday water was distributed at Tesco in Madeley, Telford.
A Severn Trent spokesperson said: “All customers in Much Wenlock should now have their water supplies back to normal after our engineers and tankering team worked through the night to restore the system in the area.
“We know customers have experienced supply interruptions during the evening demand for water this week so as a precaution we're setting up two bottled water collection points.
"These will be open this morning at: William Brookes School in Farley Road, Much Wenlock; Sainsbury’s in Whitburn Street, Bridgnorth.
“We’re really sorry for the disruption that’s been caused and we’d like to thank customers in the area for their patience.”
Severn Trent has also asked people to do what they can to prevent a repeat of the water shortages by cutting back on the amount they use.
Doug Clarke, Severn Trent’s water efficiency expert, said: “We need people to think about how they’re using water – using a sprinkler might green up your lawn but that water would be better used for drinking or washing.
“We’re going to continue producing as much water as we can – and yesterday we produced a whopping 300 million more litres than we’d normally expect to – but our pipes are can only carry so much water.
"And that’s why we just need people to think long and hard about their water usage while this hot weather continues.
“This is all about being neighbourly. Just think about whether you’re making the absolute best of the drinking water we’re producing for you and your neighbours."
The company has advised people to put garden sprinklers away, take showers rather than baths, and avoid washing cars.
