'Lost' Lake District village reemerges because of falling water levels
Report by Ralph Blunsom
The flooded village of Mardale in the Lake District can be seen again as water levels fall in the county.
Mardale was flooded to make way for the Haweswater Reservoir in the 1930s, which was built to supply water to Manchester.
A lack of rain in the last few months as well as increased demand for water as a result of people working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic has led to parts of the settlement re-emerging.
United Utilities, the water company which is in charge of the reservoir, has asked people to make use of water wisely.
A spokesperson said: “Whatever the weather we always ask our customers to use water wisely, and this is a timely reminder that water is a precious resource that we share with the environment.
“Reservoirs always tend to be at their lowest at the end of summer ahead of the winter refill, however, some of our reservoirs are lower than we would expect at this time of year. Although May was wet, summer was drier than usual this year, particularly in the Lake District where we have some of our major water sources. We have also been supplying more water than usual due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic as more people have been working from home and taking holidays in the region.
The spokesperson added: “We can all help by making simple changes – such as turning off the tap while brushing your teeth - these have little impact on your daily life but could add up to a big difference. There is a lot of useful information, tips and water-saving giveaways on our website. Thanks to everyone who is helping make a difference.”
Four tips the firm suggested for saving water are:
only running the washing machine or dishwasher with a full load
having a four-minute shower, instead of a bath
turning the tap off when brushing teeth
installing a water butt to collect rainwater for watering your garden
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