Severn Trent says it saw a massive drop in water usage last night as Cov footie fans tuned into England’s victorious 4-2 opening match win against Croatia in the World Cup.

Compared to the same time last week, some two million litres less water were used over the same 90-minute period as fans were fixated on Harry and the team.

Taking data from some parts of Coventry during the match , the company also shared that during the 15-minutes of half time, water usage shot up by 69,000 litres – the equivalent of over 120,000 pints of water - before dropping again. And when the final whistle was blown, usage shot up again even more by over 171,000 litres as people got a drink, went to the loo and got ready for bed.

While the new hydration breaks for the players are somewhat controversial, clearly for the viewer they were popular.

Severn Trent says over the full 90 minutes across Coventry and Warwickshire, around over 16 million litres of water was used to keep the city flowing during the rollercoaster 90 minutes.

Howard Perry, Network Operations Lead at Severn Trent said: “A fantastic start for England during the World Cup and clearly, looking at our water usage data – a lot of our customers were also tuned in.

“We saw demand for water drop as soon as the match kicked off and the game’s highs and lows were matched by everyone’s water usage. The data shows a clear drop during match time and water use peaked at half time and the final whistle, suggesting we really are a nation of football lovers.”

As well as keeping the city hydrated, Severn Trent is also keeping up with the football fever as it is offering 80 grants of £1,000 to grassroots football teams for children aged 16 and under.

Paul Evans, Community Lead at Severn Trent, said their Community Fund Kits for Kids campaign is initially focusing on supporting teams in Coventry and Birmingham with the hope that it develops further across the Severn Trent region.

“With a stellar start to start England’s World Cup campaign, we see football bringing people together again. It is at the heart of so many communities,” says Paul.

“We want to help give more children the chance to get involved, feel part of a team and enjoy the game they love.

“Kits for Kids is about supporting youth clubs so they can continue to do what they do best – creating opportunities for young people and getting more children on the pitch. It is about making sure more children can be part of that, especially those who might otherwise miss out because of cost.”

Applications are open until Tuesday June 23, and managers can find out more details through the Severn Trent website.

Visit the Kits for Kids page on the Severn Trent website to check eligibility and submit an application.

Severn Trent’s Community Fund has donated more than £800,000 across Coventry and Warwickshire since 2020 to support charities and community groups.

Since it was created in 2020 to support local community groups and charities, the fund has donated more than £13m, supporting more than 6.5m people.

By 2030, the Community Fund will have donated more than £20 million across the entire Severn Trent region. For more information visit www.stwater.co.uk

ENDS