WATER company United Utilities shocked residents when it put out a 'water wise' warning this week. Reporter IAN SINGLETON investigates how there can be fears for reservoir levels despite East Lancashire enduring one of the gloomiest summers for years. . .

UMBRELLAS and waterproofs were never needed so much in one summer.

And to look to the grey clouds in the sky and the puddles on the pavements would appear to make a mockery of United Utilities' warning.

But perhaps we would be better consulting our memories of the unseasonably warm winter just passed to understand the reasons behind it.

According to experts, a number of the area's reservoirs went into the summer with low levels after the dry spell. That means they would be vulnerable in the hot spell everyone is hoping we will get - hence the reason for the warning.

And there are also problems with leaks from ageing pipes - last year United Utilities lost 463million litres of water a day.

It is something the firm has a poor record on, although it is looking to address with a massive investment scheme.

Andrew White, regional manager of Water Voice which represents consumers, said United Utilities and its customers both have a duty to be careful .

He said: "People may find it strange given the summer we have had. We have had a lot of rain but not necessarily enough to recover from the dry period.

"However, there should be enough water to go around in the short term if everyone is careful.

"So there is no immediate need for, say, an extra reservoir. That would be extremely costly and also cause disruption to the environment."

Last year, United Utilities missed its target on cutting water lost through leaky pipes. It had been set 450million litres per day, but the company hit 463million litres - one of the highest levels in the country.

In comparison, Thames Water loses 700million litres a day, an United Utilities has consistently cut the level over 12 years.

In 1992, 948million litres were lost each day. At that time, outrage over hosepipe and sprinkler bans prompted a huge investment programme. The company has since spent more than £7billion on treatment works, pipes and sewers.

A spokesman said: "The high level of investment needed reflects the unique challenges we face here. These include very diverse networks of pipes and sewers, many dating back to the Victorian times."

But Mr White warned the firm must not lose momentum as there was much work still to be done. He said: "What we don't want is for the company's eyes to be taken off the ball because they have made significant progress in the past.

"We hope they will maintain the standards they have set. We want to see the company doing their part and continually tackling leakage.

"For the consumer, it is not a case of asking them to cut back, but to try not to be wasteful. We could all do things like turn off the tap when we are brushing our teeth and use water collected for gardening."