Millions of people across London and the Thames Valley have been told exactly when a hospipe ban will come into force. Thames Water today said it will start on Wednesday, August 24 at 12.01am.
The Temporary Use Ban was announced last week but it was only on Wednesday morning (August 18) that the company gave the date it will begin. It said it is bringing in restrictions following the driest July in 135 years and the hottest recorded temperatures since 1885.
Domestic customers should not use hosepipes for cleaning cars, watering gardens or allotments, filling paddling pools and swimming pools and cleaning windows from that date. The measures, which also include more work on fixing leaks, are expected to save around 10% of water.
It said demand for water had soared by 50% compared to the average for this time of year in some areas. Thames Water, which has 15 million customers, said it was supplying 2.9 billion litres of water a day to customers.
With no significant rain forecast by the Met Office, the 'escalation of the situation' has seen Thames Water begin stage two of its drought plan.
Sarah Bentley, Thames Water CEO said: “Implementing a Temporary Use Ban for our customers has been a very difficult decision to make and one which we have not taken lightly. After months of below average rainfall and the recent extreme temperatures in July and August, water resources in our region are depleted.
"Despite investing in the largest leakage reduction programme in the UK, customer demand is at unprecedented levels and we now have to move into the next phase of our drought plan to conserve water, mitigate further risk and futureproof supplies."
Thames Water said groundwater levels are currently below normal throughout the region and declining towards levels that would be only be expected once a decade. Reservoir storage levels in London and Farmoor, in Oxfordshire, have reduced significantly and are now at levels not seen for around 30 years. A
Alongside a significant leakage reduction programme, Thames Water is drawing 120 million litres of groundwater from its North London Aquifer Recharge System (NLARS) to top-up the water stored in our reservoirs.
While the TUB does not cover businesses, Thames Water is asking businesses across its area to be mindful of the drought and to use water wisely, for example, by not washing commercial vehicles or turning off water features on their properties.
Six water company's have announced hosepipe restrictions: South West Water, Welsh Water, Southern Water, South East Water, Yorkshire Water and Thames Water
