Millions of homes across the UK look set to face hosepipe bans this summer, with temperatures to soar back to above 30C next week and litt;e rain forecast. South East Water has become the second water company to announce restrictions, with a hosepipe ban for 2.2million homes in the south east of England from a week on Friday.
The Government has asked more water companies to impose bans quickly, reporters The Guardian, after the driest July since records began. The measures in the south east will ban hosepipe for watering gardens, cleaning cars and filling pools.
Southern Water announced the first hosepipe ban of the year in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight while Thames Water, South West Water and Wales Water have warned that they may need to introduce restrictions, reports The Times.
The country has seen the driest eight-months since 1976 - a drought year - and in July saw record-breaking temperatures over 40C. The Environment Agency says the country will be in drought this month if dry conditions continue. Some reservoirs are already at their lowest levels in 20 years.
A spokesman for South East Water said: “We have been producing an additional 120 million litres of water a day to supply our customers, which is the equivalent of supplying a further four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne, daily."
The Environment Agency said there are 'exceptionally low river flows across much of England and reservoir levels are falling across Yorkshire, central and southwest England”.
Thames Water said it “may indeed result in the need for more water-saving measures, including restrictions”.
South West Water said: “If the exceptional levels of demand and sustained dry weather continue, we may have to make the difficult decision to introduce formal restrictions”. Welsh Water said it was concerned and urged customers to use less water.
South East Water announced a hosepipe and sprinkler ban across Kent and Sussex after levels at Ardingly Reservoir fell alarmingly when compared with last year
The Met Office's Annie Shuttleworth said: “There is not really any rain forecast bar the odd shower for some local areas for southern and central parts of England for the rest of the week and into the weekend.”
The forecaster says temperatures in parts of the UK could be back over 30C next week.
