Thousands left without water across parts of the Midlands because of surge in demand
Thousands of people have been left without water across parts of the Midlands - because of a surge in demand.
Parts of the region were affected by severe flooding earlier in the year and now four months on, people are being asked to save water.
One man who has been affected by the problem said: "My wife is recovering from cancer so I couldn't go out and buy bottled water. Couldn't flush the toilet, we couldn't bathe, we're in the middle of a virus so we couldn't wash our hands."
It raises additional concerns due to the importance of hygiene during the coronavirus pandemic.
Government advice has been to wash your hands with soap and water often – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
Meanwhile, Severn Trent CEO Liv Garfield says in the company's 30 year history, they have never seen water usage at these levels.
She said: "If you think about it, people are stuck at home and can't have their normal hobbies and gardening, which I guess is the one thing that is open, becomes their new hobby. We're also seeing extra hygiene - quite rightly - that's using extra water."
Severn Trent is opening three bottled water stations for people in Staffordshire who are experiencing water shortages.
Over the last two nights some residents in Staffordshire have been experiencing low water pressure or no supply because of an increased demand for treated water.
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