Severn Trent has applied to the Environment Agency for a drought permit to protect Tittesworth reservoir, enabling it to release less water than normal from the reservoir into the River Churnet over the next few months.
The water company is making an application for a drought permit to support the reservoir, which is located in the North Staffordshire area of the Severn Trent Region, to support recharge over the autumn-winter period and continue to supply customers. This will be the first drought permit in this area since 1995.
The basis for our drought permit is the exceptionally dry weather experienced this year. In the upper
Tittesworth catchment for example, Severn Trent experienced the 6th driest 7-month period in 131 years (since 1891) and the 5th driest period across the whole Dove catchment over the same period.
At the same time, temperature records were set in England with the first ever Red Extreme Heat warning and a new maximum temperature being recorded.
In its justification of need paper submitted alongside the permit application, Severn Trent said:
“Combined, these factors have put significant pressure on our water supply system, resulting in inflows and storage that are much lower than normal for this time of year.”
The water company said it has already significantly reduced abstraction from Tittesworth reservoir, and is protecting storage by not abstracting its full licence allowance, saving 1,354 Ml since May compared to the same time last year and even saving over 1000Ml compared to the same period in the last drought in 2018. Severn Trent has also reconfigured its network and taken several operational actions that allow it to use alternative sources of supply while minimising use of the reservoir.
The paper states:
“The long-range forecast is variable but in the near term above average rainfall is unlikely. We are therefore focussing our attention on how we can responsibly refill our reservoirs ahead of next spring/summer. This is important so that we can secure our customers’ water supplies throughout 2023 and can continue supporting the flows in the River Churnet through next summer.”
Earlier this month Severn Trent applied for drought permits to protect its upper Derwent Valley reservoirs.
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