Islanders asked to bathe together to save water

People on the tiny island of Lundy are being asked to bathe together because of a water shortage, it emerged today.

Water is being shipped to the granite outcrop in the Bristol Channel because so little rain has fallen in the last two months.

“We are asking people to have a shower or take a bath with a friend,” said Lundy Company general manager Paul Roberts today.

“We get a lot of positive comments from that – it is a good ice breaker,” he added.

Last month only 18 millimetres of rain – compared with the long term average of 84 mm – fell on three mile long, half-a-mile-wide Lundy, which is 12 miles from the north Devon coast.

At one stage the island, which has 24 staff and can sleep up to 100 visitors, was down to three days supply of water.

Now 1,000 gallons of drinking water is being shipped in on the Oldenberg ferry from north Devon three times a week.

Loos are being flushed with sea water as an additional water saving measure - which helps save about half the daily consumption of 4,000 gallons.

The island, run by the Landmark Trust, is also supplementing supplies from their bore holes.

Most of the community’s supply comes from surface water, said Mr Roberts, who added: “What we need is a good downpour.”