Shropshire Star

Gardeners urged to be sensible with water as first signs of spring on show

We’ve barely done with winter, with snow and flooding all too fresh in our minds.

Published
People are being urged to be careful with how much water they use

But Severn Trent today issued a reminder to conserve water as the first sunny week of spring begins.

The water company used the upturn in temperatures to remind people to conserve water, although it said a hosepipe ban would be “highly unlikely” this year.

The company, which provides Shropshire and parts of Mid Wales with its water, says it is expecting a significant rise in demand this weekend because of the warm spell.

It says gardeners will be using hoses to water new bedding plants and seedlings.

But those in charge of supplies in our county warn there may be trouble ahead unless we are all careful with water usage now.

Doug Clarke, water efficiency manager at Severn Trent, said: ““We all want to keep our gardens looking their best and now is the time that people will be planting bedding plants and seedlings.

“These can take a lot of watering in, and the biggest temptation is to get the hosepipe or sprinkler out and leave it running.

“But this can use as much as 1,000 litres of drinking water in just one hour. To put it in perspective, that’s more water than a family of four would normally use in a whole day.

“We’re also urging gardeners not to worry about the health of their lawns just yet – in fact, watering established lawns is not only unnecessary, but can cause many common lawn problems. Watering encourages shallow rooting, which in turn means the lawn is more at risk in dry conditions. So once you start watering, you can’t stop.

“When we do get a shower or two, and no doubt we will as the warm weather never seems to last long, that is probably all your garden needs.

“And it’s also the perfect time to collect April showers in a water butt – that way you can keep the garden watered without using water from the tap, and save money too.”

It’s been more than 20 years since Severn Trent last had a hosepipe ban in place and while the company says it is confident it has enough supply it urged people to be sensible.