Drought causing burst pipes, warns Severn Trent

Burst pipes and leaks in Warwickshire are due to the drought, Severn Trent has said.

The recent hot weather has left the ground dry and unstable, causing greater movement in the soil and an increase in pipes bursting, Doug Clarke, the firm's water resources strategy lead, said.

Warwickshire, in particular, has "a lot of clay-type soils so you get a really high increase in the number of bursts," he added.

"This summer when it has been really dry, we have seen double the rate of bursts happening compared to when it is a damper more settled period because of that ground movement." Despite the recent intense rainfall the region is still in drought.

Drought refers to a period of prolonged unusually dry weather that can have impacts on people, nature and the environment.

Clarke said the firm takes leakages seriously and urges residents who see any burst pipes to contact Severn Trent.

"We are really trying to stay on top of it and push forward – we are getting out there fixing 60,000 leaks a year," he added.

July 2026 was the driest for England and Wales since records began 190 years ago, according to the Met Office.

Hot weather has continued throughout the summer, however there was some relief on Thursday evening in the West Midlands when storms struck the region bringing heavy rain.

"We are going to need the whole autumn and winter to get back to those seasonal norms and regular rainfall to recharge all the reservoirs and the rivers.

"Sadly, it is going to take months and months to recover".

Severn Trent is planning as far ahead as 2085, assessing how it will meet future water demand and adapt to the impacts of climate change, he said.

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