In November, as part of a customer incentive scheme, South West Water asked everyone in Cornwall to come together to help ‘Stop The Drop’ in reservoir levels.

Colliford is the strategic reservoir serving around 255,000 households in Cornwall. Due to increased demand, alongside the exceptionally hot and dry weather, storage levels within this reservoir fell to their lowest ever recorded levels earlier this year.

South West Water offered households a £30 bill credit if Colliford Reservoir reached 30% storage capacity by 31 December 2022.

The company has now announced that this target has been hit and as a result all household customers in Cornwall will receive the 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 leaks and help businesses reduce their water usage. It says these proactive steps have combined to help river and reservoir levels stabilise across the region and recover in Devon.

How to save water at home

Although storage levels are improving across the region, South West Water is urging customers to continue saving water where possible to ensure it can restore reservoir reserves as much as possible heading into next spring and summer.

Quick and easy ways to save water include:

• Reducing your shower time
• Turning off the tap when brushing your teeth
• Only doing full loads in the dishwasher or washing machine
• Fixing dripping taps
• Use water saving devices

Susan Davy, chief executive officer at 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.”