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.

On 22^nd December the company announced that customers collective efforts have helped increase Colliford to 30%, and as a result all household customers in Cornwall will receive their credit on their next bill.

Alongside efforts from customers to reduce their water usage, the water company has been working around the clock to bring new supplies safely online, find and fix more leaks than ever before and help businesses reduce their water usage. The proactive steps have combined to help river and reservoir levels stabilise across the region and recover in Devon.

Although storage levels are improving across the reason, 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.

In December, the company revealed new research which showed 79% of adults living in Cornwall and Devon intend to make long-term changes to reduce their water usage, as over half of people (57%) took shorter showers last year in order to cut back and save water.

As well as offering tips on how to be more water efficient at home, South West Water gave more than 75,000 water-saving devices to customers last year ranging from water butts to flow-reducing shower heads. These can be found on their website.

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.”

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 the reservoir fell to their lowest ever recorded levels earlier this year.