Customers switched to save water in Staffordshire
Customers in north Staffordshire are being switched to another water supply in a bid to protect levels in the county.
Severn Trent said it was switching the supply to conserve levels in Tittesworth Reservoir.
Reservoir levels across the company's region are about 10% lower than they would normally be at this time of year.
A Severn Trent spokesman said he did not currently anticipate introducing a hosepipe ban.
Taste and smell
A hosepipe ban has just been introduced in neighbouring south Cheshire and parts of Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.
The spokesman added that because of the switch, people might notice a difference in the taste and smell of their tap water.
"This is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about - the water still meets all the stringent water quality standards," he said.
He also said that conditioning agents should be added to any water intended for use with fish and other aquatic animals.
The supply will be drawn from groundwater sources around north Staffordshire. Supplies will be switched on 19 July.