Wessex Water has announced a hosepipe ban for the first time in 50 years, affecting all 1.4 million customers across Bath, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire. The temporary use ban will come into effect from midnight on Tuesday (18 August), following weeks of hot and dry weather that have plunged large parts of the country into drought.
The last time Wessex Water imposed a ban was during the infamous hot summer of 1976. The company said its water supply network is facing increasing pressure amid record levels of demand, combined with ongoing hot conditions and no significant rain forecast for the area.
Record demand and drought conditions
The decision comes after the UK’s fifth heatwave of the summer, which saw the hottest day of the year recorded in Kew Gardens, London, on Thursday (13 August), when temperatures reached 38.1C. Land is parched across vast areas of the country, with weeks of extreme heat and little rainfall bringing severe impacts to wildlife, farmers and emergency services as they battle wildfires.
Wessex Water’s ban means that more than 27 million people across England currently have their hosepipe use restricted. Fresher conditions are finally expected this week, with rain and even thunderstorms possible in some parts of the UK. However, Met Office meteorologists say some areas may not see any of the wetter weather.
CEO explains the decision
Ruth Jefferson, Wessex Water’s chief executive, said the decision to put a ban in place comes from a combination of increased demand for water during the ongoing dry weather and longer-term forecasts.
"After 50 years without a hosepipe ban in the Wessex Water region – the first since the famous drought of 1976 – this isn’t a decision we’ve made lightly and we’re sorry for the inconvenience it will cause," Mr Jefferson said. "We know so many of our customers have already been taking steps to save water and we’re incredibly grateful for their support so far this summer."
"It makes such a difference," he added. "But the prolonged and extreme dry weather has meant demand across our region has consistently remained at more than 400 million litres per day, 30% above average for this time of year and the equivalent of almost half a million hosepipes running for a full hour every day."
Impact and next steps
Mr Jefferson continued: "While we’re not running out of water for essential use, our challenge has been moving water through the network quickly enough to meet these record levels of demand. This also has an impact on our underground storage reservoirs, which normally replenish with treated water quickly."
Wessex Water said it is contacting larger business customers who are high water users to encourage them to avoid non-essential use. It is also encouraging households to make small and simple changes during the ongoing dry spell to ensure water supplies and the environment are protected.
