A hosepipe ban which has affected 15 million people has finally been lifted after three months. Heavy rains have meant Thames Water has announced it is ending the ban from November 22.
Thanking people for their co-operation it said on its website: "We’re pleased to announce that we can end the hosepipe ban from 22 November. Thank you to everyone across our region for your brilliant efforts to save water, since the ban was put in place in August."
It said it did not need the ban any longer after the heavy rain throughout November which "has made a real difference". It added: "The soil is now wet enough for water to begin filling our underground sources. We predict that just 60% of normal winter rain will return things to normal by next spring."
The company has now set out its plans for the coming months saying: "We’ll continue to work around the clock to find and fix leaks. At the moment, our teams repair around 1,000 every week.
"We also want to make sure that our underground sources, rivers and reservoirs get fully stocked up to serve our densely populated region, so we’ll be carefully monitoring water levels to track progress. You can help us by keeping up the good work and using water wisely – the more you save, the less we need to take from rivers and boreholes. You’ll be doing the right thing by the environment, and you could also reduce your energy bill."
Thames Water supplies 15 million people across 5,000 square miles from parts of Gloucestershire in the west to areas of Kent and Essex in the east.
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