Welsh Water is expecting up to a 20% increase in demand for water across its network between Friday and Sunday due to the very warm weather that is forecast by the Met Office.

The company said it wanted people to use the water they need to stay healthy and hydrated, but to avoid wasting water to help protect supplies and the environment.

Temperatures could reach 32 degrees in parts of Wales and Herefordshire, with customers expected to use more water for activities such as showering, hydration, filling up pools and using sprinklers. The heatwave is the third of the year, following the driest Spring on record.

Last month, ‘Developing Drought’ status was announced by the water company for Mid & South Ceredigion along with parts of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, as reservoir levels became lower than what the company usually sees at this time of year.

Although there are no other areas of concern now, the company is urging people to not be complacent with the supplies available.

On a typical day, the company normally treats and supplies around 850 mega litres of fresh, clean water to its three million customers. This is roughly the same amount of water needed to fill around 320 Olympic sized swimming pools. Last time temperatures soared above 30 degrees, this level exceeded 970 mega litres per day.

To keep up with demand, the company has teams of engineers across its operating area working around the clock to ensure the water treatment works keep up with demand, and fixing 700 leaks a week. With a significant fleet of water tankers, water is currently being moved around the network to keep underground drinking water tanks topped up in areas where there are high levels of demand.

Extra demand makes it a challenge to get water through the pipes quickly and drains water quicker from the reservoirs and rivers that supply the water.

The company is also warning people not to swim in unauthorised reservoirs during the period of warm weather.

Ian Christie, Managing Director of Water Services said: "We want everyone to enjoy the warm weather, staying safe and hydrated. Please don’t be tempted to swim in unauthorised reservoirs, they can be full of hidden dangers and machinery which can operate at any time and create currents that pull in even the strongest of swimmers.

“As we’re facing the third heatwave of the year, we’re seeing a sustained spike in demand. People will see our engineers working hard around the country to ensure everything is in the best shape possible before the hottest weather hits. We will also have incident teams running through the weekend to maintain supplies. While we will do all that we can, we’re asking customers to help their communities by playing their part to avoid wasting water, saving it wherever possible.

"Garden sprinklers for example are one of the biggest consumers of water in the garden as they use on average 1,000 litres of water every hour. This is the equivalent of what a typical family would use inside the house in two days.

"Another way customers can help is by reporting any leaks to us which they may notice so that we can get a team out straight away to look at it. By working together in this way, we can help ensure that we keep the water flowing through the summer."