Thames Water has announced a hosepipe ban for millions of customers after the exceptionally dry, hot weather and high demand. The restriction, also known as a temporary use ban (Tub), will come into effect at 00.01am on Thursday. However, the utility is asking households to follow the ban immediately ahead of its official start date.
Thames Water said use is currently 10% above normal in the Thames Valley and the Home Counties, as well as 7% above normal in London.
Nevil Muncaster, director of strategic water resources at Thames Water, said this step is “necessary to protect water supplies for everyone and the environment.”
“While there is enough water for essential use, we need to reduce non-essential outdoor demand to keep taps flowing,” he said. “Many customers have already reduced their water use, and that support has made a difference. Thank you to everyone who has already changed their daily habits.”
Mr Muncaster added that Thames Water teams are working around the clock to keep water moving, fix leaks and support customers. He said: “We will keep the situation under close review and lift restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so.”
The ban applies to customers that Thames Water supplies with drinking water, but does not apply to waste-only customers or those supplied by another water company.
South East Water has also introduced temporary restrictions in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire from Saturday. It is set to affect more than 2 million customers, with the supplier asking customers to cut back on water use straight away.
Meanwhile, the Environment Agency released its weekly dry weather and drought report on Friday, revealing that reservoir storage levels in England are currently at 79%, around five percentage points below the long-term average for the time of year.
It also revealed that six reservoirs are classed as having ‘notably low’ levels.
Thames Water supplies 10 million Brits across London, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Kent and Essex.
The UK recently experienced two record-breaking heatwaves, one in May and one in June. In June, temperatures in and around London neared 40C, while extreme heat warnings were issued to the population of these areas.