Large parts of Wales are officially in a state of drought from today (Friday, August 19). Natural Resources Wales (NRW) confirmed that the thresholds have been met to enter drought status in several areas of south-west Wales following an extended period of dry weather and high temperatures.
Meanwhile Dwr Cymru Welsh Water has announced a hosepipe ban for more 60,000 households served by Llys y Fran reservoir in Pembrokeshire. It will come into force for people in Pembrokeshire and a small adjoining part of Carmarthenshire from 8am on Friday.
Commenting on the drought status, NRW's sustainable water manager Natalie Hall said: "Prolonged dry weather can lead to drought when rainfall remains low. This can impact some of our most precious habitats and species as well as systems we often take for granted, such as our water supplies. We have decided to declare a state of drought in south-west Wales after it was clear the lack of rain and recent heat have put a huge strain on our rivers, reservoirs and groundwater levels."
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The full list of affected areas by the drought is:
- North Ceredigion (Rheidol, Aeron, Ystwyth)
- Teifi
- Pembrokeshire (Eastern and Western Cleddau)
- Carmarthen (Tywi and Taf)
- Swansea and Llanelli (Tawe and Loughor)
- Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend (Neath, Afan, Ogmore)
NRW confirmed that while essential water supplies remain safe, the public and businesses should be "very mindful" of the pressures on resources and "use water wisely." South-west Wales received just 65.5% of its average rainfall for July and all river levels in the area are lower than expected - including the Ewenny, Teifi and Taf. The rest of Wales is still in a period of prolonged dry weather despite the rainfall earlier this week, and the majority of rivers are still lower than expected.
Across Wales, rainfall between March and July was at just 61% of expected levels, resulting in the driest five-month period in 40 years. Ms Hall added: "While certain parts of Wales may be experiencing rain, it can still take a long time to recover from drought, making water a precious resource."
Rainfall at the moment is expected to be short and intense, and will likely fall onto dry, hard ground. This means the water is less likely to be absorbed and become part of the supply of groundwater. NRW jointly made the decision to move from prolonged dry weather status with the Welsh Government's Drought Liaison Group. Both NRW and the Welsh Government attend England's national drought group to address cross-border concerns.
In relation to the hosepipe ban, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water said customers in the affected area have already been sent letters to advise them that they will not be able to use a hosepipe to carry out activities in and around their properties such as watering plants or filling paddling pools or hot tubs.
Ian Christie, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water's managing director of water services said: "As a responsible company, we have detailed plans in place to ensure we continue to supply customers especially when an area falls into drought which includes introducing temporary use bans. It is not a decision we take lightly because we know the inconvenience it can cause, but if we don’t take action now then there would be a real risk of further restrictions later which is something we really want to avoid for our customers. With no significant rain in the forecast it is important that we all work together to make sure the water continues to flow.
"We are also doing our bit as well and have increased the number of people in the area we have finding and fixing leaks. This has seen us increase manpower in the area by 70% which in turn means we are now detecting and fixing 40% more leaks compared to 2021. We do however appreciate that customers can get frustrated if a leak isn’t fixed as soon as they report it to us. While the majority of leaks are fixed immediately, there are some which can prove to be more complex and requires traffic management so the work can be done safely. These then can take longer however we can assure our customers that we are doing everything we can to fix each one as quickly as we can."
Mr Christie added: “We really do appreciate the steps people have already taken to limit the amount of water they use but we would urge everyone now in the affected area to respect the ban and not use a hosepipe. There are exceptions, particularly for those holding a Blue Badge or on our Priority Service Register. A full list of what people aren’t allowed to do under the ban and the exceptions can be found on our website - www.dwrcymru.com/drought."
You can find the latest advice on water use by visiting your water company's website or Waterwise. Any incidents relating to the current dry weather can be reported to NRW's 24-hour hotline on 03000653000.
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