Three playful water companies responsible for wasting 7,500 liters of water per second have instructed families to conserve supplies by not overfilling their paddling pools.
As the record-breaking spell of warm weather continues, Bristol Water, Northumbrian Water and Severn Trent Water begged customers to save water last week.
Bristol Water asked people not to use paddling pools at all and asked them not to plant ‘demanding flowers’ that need regular water.
Northumbrian Water urged people not to wash their cars but urged families not to spill water from the children’s pools. And Severn Trent suggested lowering the water level in paddling pools to reduce the risk of waste.
The three companies contribute 654 million liters of the extraordinary 3.1 billion liters of water estimated to be lost every day by water companies, according to industry association Water UK. In contrast, a 7 by 4 ft paddling pool filled to a depth of 40 cm has a volume of 400 liters.
Bristol Water asked people not to use children’s pools at all
The three water companies reported annual profits of more than £530 million last year and their chief executives enjoyed aggregate compensation of more than £5 million. Water UK, which represents the main suppliers, estimates that the average water bill in England and Wales will increase from £412 to £419 in the 2022-2023 financial year.
Critics last night mocked the requests that they argued would save a tiny fraction of the water businesses would lose from leaks from Britain’s 215,000-mile pipes. Cat Hobbs, the founder of We Own It, which campaigns to make water companies publicly owned, said: The hypocrisy of ‘water companies’ is unbelievable. They say every drop is precious, but thousands of Olympic swimming pools are leaking water.
“It’s patronizing to tell customers to be careful not to spill water. They treat us like idiots. The wages of these water bosses are enormous. Water companies give priority to paying shareholders instead of investing in infrastructure and fixing leaks.’
Severn Trent, one of the country’s largest water companies and supplying eight million people in the Midlands, has submitted its request on its website. Admitting that “it’s fun to fill the paddling pool,” the message added: “Don’t fill your paddling pool to the top. You could save 30 liters of water for every centimeter the water level drops.’
The boss of the company is Liv Garfield, 47, whose pay package is £3.9m, up £830,000 from the previous year. Her company leaks 415 million liters of water every day, enough to fill more than a million paddling pools. The married mother of two, Ms Garfield, who became the youngest-ever female CEO of an FTSE 100 company when she was appointed in 2014, reportedly owns a £5.5 million house in London.
A spokesperson said the company offered customers “practical tips” and is committed to reducing leaks.
In an email to its customers, Northumbrian Water, which supplies around 4.5 million customers in North East England, Essex and Suffolk, said: ‘If the paddling pool is outside, don’t fill it to the brim and let it overflow. Avoid using a garden hose to wash the car – leave it alone or use a bucket.”
Bristol Water, Northumbrian Water and Severn Trent Water all pleaded with customers to save water last week
Asked at her landmark £1.25 million home near York how she reconciled the email with the 210 million gallons of water lost every day by her business, CEO Heidi Mottram, 57, said: vacation in the moment.’
Ms Mottram, who earns around £900,000 a year, advised The Mail on Sunday to contact the company’s press service, which we had already done with no response. Finally, a spokesperson said, “We’ve invested heavily to help us reduce spills.”
On its website Bristol Water – which leaks 38 million liters a day – said: ‘Try not to use paddling pools. If you do, try to fill it halfway – just like a bath, and reuse the water to wash your car or water your plants.”
It also suggested planting drought-resistant varieties “such as lavender, hardy geraniums and bearded irises.”
Bristol Water, one of Britain’s smallest companies, is run by Mel Karam, who earns around £230,000 a year. The company did not respond to a request for comment.