Colliford Reservoir reaches 30% storage capacity
South West Water says as a result, customers in Cornwall will receive £30 off their water bill
Last updated 22nd Dec 2022
South West Water has announced that customers in Cornwall will receive £30 off their water bill after helping Colliford Reservoir recharge to 30%.
In November, in a first of its kind customer incentive scheme, South West Water asked everyone in Cornwall to come together to help 'Stop The Drop' in reservoir levels, offering a £30 bill credit if Colliford Reservoir reached 30% storage capacity by 31 December 2022.
Today (Thursday 22 December) the company has announced that customers collective efforts have helped increase Colliford to over 30%, and as a result all household customers in Cornwall will receive their credit on their next bill.
Although storage levels are improving across the region, South West Water is urging customers to continue saving water where possible to ensure we restore reservoir reserves as much as possible heading into this spring and summer.
Susan Davy, Chief Executive Officer, Pennon Group, owner of South West Water, said: "I’m delighted that customers have helped show what a big difference small steps can make when multiplied across our region, and I would like to thank every customer who has taken steps to reduce their water consumption and help Colliford reach 30% capacity.
"Since launching our Stop the Drop customer initiative, we have seen water consumption across Cornwall reduce at times compared to last year, but there is still more to be done. By making long-term changes to our water habits, we can help our reservoirs continue to recover ahead of the spring and summer months.
"For those customers looking to make New Year’s resolutions, not only is saving water great for the environment, but if you are on a water meter it can save you money on your bills."
Day to day activities around the house can use a lot of water from 50 litres a cycle on a washing machine and up to 9 litres every time you flush the loo, to using 14 litres for a dishwasher cycle or even 30 litres for handwashing dishes.
Small steps can make a big difference:
- If everyone in Cornwall cut their shower time by just 1 minute, it would save over 4.5 million litres a day. That’s enough water to supply over 31,000 additional people each day
- Simply turning off the tap when brushing your teeth can save approximately 9,000 litres a year. That's the equivalent of 37,000 cups. Or enough water to shower almost 100 times
- A dripping tap wastes around 5,500 litres of water a year
Colliford is the strategic reservoir serving around 255,000 households in Cornwall.
Due to unprecedented demand, alongside the exceptionally hot and dry weather, storage levels within this reservoir fell to their lowest ever recorded levels earlier this year.