Thames Water has become the fifth water company to announce a hosepipe ban, affecting more than 10 million customers as the UK continues to experience hot, dry weather.
The temporary use ban (TUB) will come into effect at 12.01am on Thursday, July 23. The company is asking households to follow the ban from today.
The restriction affects the 10.1 million customers supplied by Thames Water across London, the Thames Valley and the home counties, but not waste-only customers or those supplied by another water company.
Other hosepipe bans in place
Bans are already in place for Southern Water customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Cambridge Water customers, Affinity Water customers in Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey and parts of London, and Anglian Water customers in the East of England.
Nevil Muncaster, director of strategic water resources at Thames Water, said: “We would not be taking this step unless it was necessary to protect water supplies for everyone and the environment. While there is enough water for essential use, we need to reduce non-essential outdoor demand to keep taps flowing.”
“Many customers have already reduced their water use and that support has made a difference. Thank you to everyone who has already changed their daily habits.”
What the ban means
The restriction means people must not use hosepipes for any non-essential activities, such as watering gardens, cleaning cars, filling paddling pools or topping up hot tubs.
Pressure on water resources is intensifying, with the current warm conditions following three unprecedented heatwaves and the driest spring on record for England and Wales.
The Environment Agency revealed on Tuesday that large parts of southern, central and eastern England have moved closer to official drought status.
Water usage and demand
The company said water use is currently 10% above normal in the Thames Valley and the Home Counties, as well as 7% above normal in London. Customers are currently using an extra 100 million litres every day – equivalent to adding all the homes in Manchester to the network, the firm added.
Periods of hot weather can push up demand as people consume more water to stay cool and water gardens, while farmers use more for crop irrigation and industries use more for protecting infrastructure from the heat.
Hotter temperatures can also lead to physical pressure on underground water pipes, leading to higher rates of bursts and leaks, while the lack of rainfall means very little replenishment for reservoirs. The water firm said it will keep the situation under review and lift restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so.
Rainfall and reservoir levels
The Thames Water region received only 40% of average rainfall this spring, followed by periods of exceptionally hot weather, the firm said.
On Monday, South East Water also announced that 2.4 million customers will be affected by temporary restrictions in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire from Saturday, coming on top of a ban it already put in place for areas of Kent.
Severn Trent, Essex and Suffolk Water, Wessex Water and Portsmouth Water have also urged customers to use water wisely amid the heatwave.
The Environment Agency said six reservoirs are currently classed as having “notably low” levels, including Wimbleball in Somerset, Grafham in Cambridgeshire and Hanningfield in Essex, while Blagdon reservoir in Somerset is classed as being “exceptionally low”.
Meanwhile, only 13% of rivers are classed at normal levels for this time of year, with the Rivers Avon (Hampshire), Cam, Derwent (Yorkshire), Swale, Tone, Wye and Yare currently seeing exceptionally low levels.
Helen Wakeham, chair of the National Drought Group and director of water at the Environment Agency, said: “All sectors are taking action, and we are grateful to the public for following the restrictions, where in place, to make sure there is enough water for everyone this summer.”
“We want everyone to stay safe and hydrated during the hot weather but every drop we can save is a drop more for nature and agriculture.”
Rainfall totals for the month of July to date ranged from 9% of the long-term average in north-west England to nothing in east and south-east England, the Met Office said.
