A UTILITY company has revealed a record use in water last week, and is warning people to be more careful with their water usage.

Demand for water across parts of the Thames Valley soared by 158 million litres per day last week.

The combination of hot weather and lockdown led to the unprecedented levels.

Thames Water said that following one of the wettest winters on record, it has a good amount of water stored in its reservoirs.

See also: Oxford vigil demands justice for George Floyd

However, at peak times on hot days, customers in some areas are using water faster than it can be safely treated.

Andrew Tucker, water efficiency manager at Thames Water, said: “Increased temperatures mean increased demand for our water, which stresses our network’s ability to produce it fast enough and accelerates the draw on rivers and underground aquifers.

“Making every drop count inside and outside our homes by taking shorter showers, turning off sprinklers and reusing water where possible, means we can all help keep taps flowing in our communities so everyone can still have access to water for the essentials like hand washing and staying hydrated.

“With millions of homes using more water every day, being water efficient in the garden and inside the home will really help us ensure there’s enough to go around.”