Islanders urged to shorten showers as reserves dip

Water storage has fallen 5% in the past two weeks

Islanders are being urged to take urgent action to reduce their water use, as reservoir levels continue to fall following months of dry weather, prompting a desalination plant to be restarted.

With rainfall 30% lower than last year and 20% below the five-year average, the island's total water storage dropped to 57% of capacity, said Jersey Water.

The fall of 5% in the past two weeks alone was equivalent to 117m litres, it said.

The utility restarted its desalination plant to help boost supplies and asked residents to make small changes such as shortening showers to avoid restrictions.

Jersey Water operates six main reservoirs, which together can store about 2.7bn litres of untreated water, enough to supply the island for about 120 days under normal conditions.

Mark Bowden, head of water resilience and emergency planning, said previous pleas to conserve water had meant "we haven't needed to introduce any restrictions".

"We really want that to continue, and we thank everyone for their actions, as those small changes have made a big difference," he said.

To help conserve water, Jersey Water recommends:

• Turning off the tap while brushing teeth: Saving up to six litres a minute

• Shortening showers: Cutting from seven to four minutes saves about 24 litres

• Fixing leaks quickly: A dripping tap can waste more than 200 litres a day

• Running full loads in dishwashers and washing machines

• Using a jug of cold water in the fridge instead of running the tap

Islanders were invited to support Water Night on Thursday by turning off taps between 17:00 and 22:00 BST. Landmarks including Fort Regent and Mont Orgueil Castle will be lit in blue to mark the event.