With warm weather in the forecast, Severn Trent is reminding people to stay safe by staying out of its reservoirs.

While it may be tempting to take a dip in reservoirs can contain hidden dangers including strong currents, freezing temperatures and objects under the surface that could lead to even strong swimmers finding themselves in trouble.  

Sue McIntosh, Visitor Experience Lead at Severn Trent, said: “It’s always fantastic to see people enjoying our wonderful sites in the summer and while we really want to encourage everyone to enjoy themselves in the warm weather, it's important that people stay out of the water.

“We take the safety of all of our visitors extremely seriously and want them to remain conscious of the dangers that can result from entering the water.

“We know how tempting reservoirs can look in the warm weather, but even on a hot day, the water will be extremely cold. We don’t have lifeguards on site or safe swimming areas, so we’d ask visitors to not take that risk.”

Some of the risks of swimming in reservoirs include:

·         The water is colder than it looks and cold water shock can affect a person's muscles and cause them to gasp for air which can lead to drowning

·         Reservoirs are operational sites, with machinery under the water which can create strong currents which pose a risk to even strong swimmers

·         Reservoirs have steep sides and can become very deep very quickly

·         The water may contain unseen natural hazards such as weeds, rocks or blue-green algae which can be toxic

·         Not all sites are staffed and they may be out in the countryside, many miles from help if someone gets into trouble

More details about Severn Trent’s visitor sites are available at https://www.stwater.co.uk/our-visitor-sites/