Freebies for Severn Trent's Staffordshire customers helped save water in dry spell

A series of community giveaway events were held in areas including Staffordshire for customers to pick up items such as flow-reducing showerheads, timers and tap inserts.

The potential combined water-saving could reach 100,000 litres per day – more than 1,200 full bathtubs - while scores of people also signed up for money-saving smart water meters.

Severn Trent is now encouraging the public to continue to be ‘water-wise’ all year round, as it deals with the twin challenges of climate change and population growth.

It is investing £420 million in laying more than 800 miles of new pipes across the region, including in Derbyshire and Staffordshire where events were held.

The company's water resources officer Doug Clarke said: “We’re delighted so many customers took up the offer of free water-saving devices and smart meters this summer. We supply eight million customers, so even small changes can make a big difference.

“We have seen some rain in recent weeks, but it’s easy to forget we had the driest spring on record and the annual rainfall this year is way below what we normally see. At many of our sites reservoir levels are improving, but we do have less water than we would want in some of our reservoirs at this time of year. 

“With climate change, experts say droughts like we experienced this year could happen more often. This is why it’s important we all do our bit to help reservoirs refill over winter.

“That is why we would encourage everyone to continue to be water-wise all year round, not just during the summer. By doing so, they can help the environment - and save themselves money if they have a meter, or even through their energy usage on hot water.”

Simple water-saving tips include installing a smart water meter, turning off taps when they are not in use, fixing leaks quickly, fitting low-flow showerheads or dual-flush toilets, and running full dishwasher loads.