Severn Trent, a water company serving over eight million people in England and Wales, has reported its highest-ever level of demand for water. The company has called on its customers to reduce their water usage.
According to the company, demand on Saturday surpassed previous records that were set during the 2022 drought and the Covid-19 pandemic. Demand has been "significantly higher" than usual, with water consumption elevated for longer periods each day and into the night during the recent hot weather, which marks the second heatwave of the summer.
Over the last few days, demand reached nearly 2.4 billion liters, which translates to an extra 400 million liters more than usual each day. This volume is enough to supply water to two million people, or the equivalent of 700 million pints, Severn Trent stated.
The company partially attributed the surge in demand to increased water use for activities such as watering gardens and filling paddling pools. 
