Severn Trent is warning over 3,500 households in Derbyshire and Leicestershire not to use their water supply while it investigates the presence of high levels of chlorine.
The water company is asking customers in the DE11, DE15, DE65, DE73 and LE65 area of Derbyshire to not use their water supply as a precaution while it investigates a problem with higher than normal levels of chlorine at one of its service reservoirs in the Derbyshire area. Up to 3,600 customers could potentially be affected by Severn Trent’s request that the water supply should not be used at all.
The problem appears to be related to over-chlorination at Severn Trent's Castle Donington reservoir which was picked up via an automatic monitoring system.
The firm has issued a statement apologising for the inconvenience this will cause, saying it is working hard to isolate the problem and get everything back to normal as quickly as possible. The water company is now working to flush the water out the system and constantly testing the quality of water at customers’ taps - Severn Trent is planning to have completed this work by midday tomorrow.
Severn Trent Water first tweeted about the problem four hours ago. It believes around 3,700 customer are potentially affected in total, and said it has been in touch with its most vulnerable customers to see what their needs are.
UK water companies are invited to join an upcoming webinar which will explore how the sector can take indirect potable reuse (IPR) from concept to full-scale operational reality.
James Sumsion, CEO of predictive water intelligence specialists Kohtari, says the water sector needs to take a giant leap forward, so that it can anticipate and act upon water quality issues - rather than merely react.
Ray Moulds, Sales Director at Flood Control International, takes a look at how automated sliding floodgates are supporting secondary containment at water and sewerage company sites.
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.