JOURNAL readers contacted us at the weekend to complain about the paddling pool in Wyndham Park and Dysart Park in Grantham being left empty of water all weekend.
Rather than fill the pool South Kesteven District Council cordoned it off - to the dismay of parents and children.
The Journal contacted SKDC to find out why there was no water in the district’s paddling pools and this is what cabinet member, Coun John Smith, said: “We have taken advice from Anglian Water, who want all of us to save water, and have made the decision not to fill our paddling pools during the most severe drought this region has ever experienced.
“It takes around 30,000 litres of water to fill the paddling pools in Wyndham Park and Dysart Park each day which is equivalent to the amount of water used by almost 200 people.
“The pools have to be emptied daily for health and safety reasons, including contamination, and we feel it would be wrong to waste such a huge amount of water when supplies are so low.
“We do understand that local families will be disappointed but we hope that they will agree that SKDC should lead by example and try and conserve as much water as possible whilst encouraging our residents to do the same.”
As well as not filling paddling pools, the district council is conserving water in other areas as well.
Coun Smith said: “We are doing all we can to cut back on the water we use and have stopped all street washing (unless oil and grease need removing) and have decided to only wash council vehicles monthly or if they need their lights cleaned.
“We have also worked with our contractors, Leisure Connection, to ensure that pool water at our leisure centres is kept to a minimum (but still ensuring safety) and externally water is only used for essential track and field maintenance.
“As a council we feel it is our duty to encourage local residents to save water and we urge them to join Anglian Water’s Drop 20 Campaign which aims to get everyone dropping the amount of water they use every day by 20 litres.
“People don’t deliberately waste water but every drop that isn’t put to good use or saved for later puts more pressure on supplies in the environment.
“That means, unfortunately, that we won’t be able to refill the pools until the drought order is lifted.”
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