'Help us to conserve water'

RESIDENTS are being urged to play their part in conserving water following the driest spring in more than a century as water bosses deal with a 'developing drought' situation in Staffordshire.

- By Kerry Ashdown

The Environment Agency declared a drought in the north west of England in May before meteorological summer had even started and the region covered by Severn Trent Water only saw around 39% of the average rainfall that would be expected in spring.

The dry conditions mean that Tittesworth Reservoir, near Leek, is currently at around 63% of normal water capacity. And across the area covered by the water company, overall levels are at around 76%.

Doug Clarke, Water Resources Planning Lead at Severn Trent Water, said: "It has been an incredibly dry spring in our region. Even though we had a bit of rain at the end of May and the beginning of this month, reserves are still lower than we would want them to be.