United Utilities has launched its reservoir safety campaign to coincide with National Drowning Prevention Week. This campaign is called ‘Beautiful but deadly’.



With latest statistics revealing 300 people in the UK lost their lives in 2016 due to accidental drowning (source: National Water Safety Forum), United Utilities have launched a hard hitting campaign to highlight the risks to teens and their parents.

Their research has highlighted that people still remain unaware of the dangers of swimming in reservoirs and that teen peer pressure can play a big part.

Matt Upton, United Utilities’ Water Catchment Manager said:

“We’re expecting thousands of visitors to our reservoir sites this summer. We only have one condition – please stay out of the water. The last thing we want is for a fun day out to turn into a tragedy.

“While teenagers are the most likely to put themselves in harm’s way, we’ve seen adults and even parents with young children taking the plunge, not realising just how much danger they are in.

“We don’t want to stop people from having an adventurous summer. But there are much safer ways to get an adrenaline fix.â€

Reservoirs, with their sudden drops, hidden machinery, unpredictable currents and freezing, muscle-numbing water can be fatal for those who ignore the warning signs.

For further information about reservoir safety and the ‘Beautiful but deadly’ campaign, visit the United Utilities website.