WITH the current sunny weather coinciding with the Easter holidays, people are being reminded by Welsh Water of the dangers of swimming in reservoirs and open water.

The company has already reported instances of people swimming in some reservoirs in South Wales in the last few weeks including Lower Carno at Ebbw Vale, and Llandegfedd, near Usk.

And it wants to avoid a repeat of incident such as the deaths of two people at reservoirs in the Brecon Beacons on one weekend last July.

Welsh Water owns and maintains more than 80 reservoirs across Wales and its chief operating officer, Pete Perry said: “Our reservoirs are great places to enjoy organised activities but all too often people are tempted to risk taking a swim which can lead to tragic consequences.

"While reservoirs might seem like a great place to cool off, they are full of hidden dangers with freezing cold water and strong currents.

“We ask customers to remember that reservoirs are working sites that are an important part of the water cycle. This is why we display signage at these sites and campaigns asking customers not to swim at any time.”

Dangers include automatic equipment located under the water surface which can sometimes operate without obvious warning, and very cold, deep water that can cause even strong swimmers to find themselves in difficulty.

A Welsh Water film warning of the dangers of swimming in its reservoirs can be found at www.dwrcymru.co.uk/en/Community/Education/Reservoir-Safety