A hosepipe ban might be on the cards for parts of Wales that have seen unprecedented water use in recent weeks, bosses at Dwr Cymru have warned.

With the weather forecast showing little sign of any rain for at least another week Welsh Water is urging customers and visitors to use water as efficiently as possible as prolonged hot and dry weather continues to drive exceptionally high demand across parts of its operating area, especially Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Hereford.

The company has experienced several weeks of sustained demand significantly above normal levels, with over 1,000 megalitres a day put into the network for the last 7 days – over 17% more than usual. Sustaining this level of demand is unprecedented and increasingly challenging as the long, dry, hot spell continues.

Unlike the shorter peaks usually seen during spells of warm weather, water use has remained elevated throughout the day and into the evening, placing continued pressure on water treatment works and the distribution network.

Welsh Water has so far maintained supplies by operating its treatment works at maximum capacity, moving water around the network, using its entire tanker fleet 24/7 and deploying frontline teams around the clock to repair leaks and respond to local supply pressures.

The challenge is not due to insufficient water in reservoirs, but the level of water demand from customers being so high for a much longer period of the day that treated water storage in the network cannot be replenished quickly enough.

With schools breaking up this week and the busiest part of the summer holiday season beginning, demand is expected to remain particularly high in west Wales.

Several water companies in England have already introduced temporary restrictions this summer following prolonged periods of exceptionally high demand.

Welsh Water’s Chief Customer Officer, Kit Wilson said: “We are doing everything we can to keep water flowing for our customers. Our treatment works are producing as much water as they safely can, our teams are working around the clock, and we are moving water around the network wherever possible.

“However, we have now experienced an unprecedent period of exceptionally high and sustained demand lasting several weeks. This is no longer a short-lived peak caused by a few hot days. The pressure has continued day after day, including overnight when our storage levels would normally have the opportunity to recover.

“We would prefer not to put any restrictions on customer water use, but to maintain supplies for all customers we are asking people to work with us, be careful not to waste water, and to help reduce the risk of any impact on supplies. If this level of demand continues, we’ll have to consider all the options available to us to protect essential water supplies. Other water companies in England have already had to introduce emergency restrictions in response to similar pressures.

“Customers can help us avoid reaching that point. Small changes, made by large numbers of people, can save millions of litres of water and make a significant difference to the resilience of local supplies.”

The company is continuing to monitor demand and local storage levels closely and will provide further updates if the position changes.