Northumbrian Water is not planning on introducing a hosepipe ban in the North East of England despite a drought being declared in other parts of the country.
At least five water companies around England and Wales have revealed plans for a hosepipe ban. They include Yorkshire Water in the North of England.
Despite high demand, below-average rainfalls, and low water levels at Northumbrian Water's reservoirs which include Kielder Water in Northumberland and Derwent Reservoir in County Durham, no restrictions on water use are expected in the parts of Tyne and Wear, Teesside, Northumberland and County Durham that Northumbrian Water supplies.
Northumbrian Water confirmed it is not expecting to impose a hosepipe ban in Newcastle, Sunderland, Northumberland, County Durham, North Tyneside or South Tyneside.
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"Over the past seven months we have seen below-average rainfall," Northumbrian Water said in a statement.
“We are continuing to experience periods of high demand for water and this means that our reservoir levels are lower than they would normally be at this point in the year. We are not anticipating the need for any restrictions this summer and as an environmentally-responsible company, we are monitoring and carefully managing the resources we take from the environment.
“To help with this we are encouraging our customers to use water wisely and minimise usage where they can. Our teams are working hard to make sure that our reservoirs can recover over the autumn period and this will help us to ensure that we can keep the water flowing for customers throughout winter and into next year.
“For advice and ideas on how to use water wisely, visit www.nwl.co.uk/summer, or follow our social media accounts.”
Yorkshire Water has become the fifth company in England and Wales to announce a hosepipe ban as Britons continue to swelter through hot and dry conditions.
The company, which has more than five million customers, made the announcement early on Friday, with the restrictions coming into effect from August 26.
Yorkshire Water’s director of water Neil Dewis said the prolonged heatwave conditions blasting the nation left the company mean water restrictions are necessary. “Parts of Yorkshire have seen the lowest rainfall since our records began more than 130 years ago,” he said.
“The hot, dry, weather means that Yorkshire’s rivers are running low and our reservoirs are around 20% lower than we would expect for this time of year. We’ve been doing everything we can to avoid putting in restrictions but, unfortunately, they’re now necessary as part of our drought planning.
“We’ve been monitoring reservoir levels, weather forecasts and other environmental indicators closely to determine whether we might need to put further measures in place.
“As we’ve now reached that trigger point, we need to make sure that we have enough supply for the essential needs of people across the region this year and next, as well as making sure we’re able to protect our local environment by limiting the amount of water we have to draw from the rivers.
“Our decision to introduce a hosepipe ban is based on the risk that water stocks continue to fall in the coming weeks and the need to be cautious about clean water supplies and long-term river health.”
Under the restrictions, customers are banned from using a hosepipe to water their gardens, clean their vehicles, fill their swimming pools or clean their homes.
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