Here are some examples of water consumption that increases with heat: watering the garden, showering, and pools.
The unusually high water consumption in Byske is likely due to an increased number of people staying there, including those in summer cottages and at the campsite.
— We don't have a problem with groundwater; there's plenty of water to pump up. However, it must go through a treatment process, and we can only produce a limited amount of drinking water per day, says Mattias Lindkvist.
— Normally, water levels in our water towers recover during evenings and nights when usage drops. But now, high consumption persists late into the evenings, preventing adequate recovery.
To help ease the situation in Byske, water trucks transported treated drinking water from the Guldstaden waterworks on Tuesday night. Still, water levels remained too low, leading to a watering ban being issued that Tuesday.
It's now forbidden to water outdoor plants, including lawns and other greenery. Filling hot tubs, pools, and washing cars are also prohibited.
In Burträsk, the water tower was nearly empty after a significant water leak. The leak, which happened last week, was fixed as quickly as possible. Yet, the tower's level has stayed too low because consumption is also unusually high in Burträsk. Therefore, a watering ban is in effect there too.
— This morning, things look better in Burträsk, but we're keeping the ban until we've reached normal levels.
Lindkvist hopes that no more towns will have to implement watering bans.
— But circumstances can shift fast. A large leak or a fire that needs extinguishing could quickly change everything, he says.