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Thames Water has introduced a hosepipe ban for more than 10 million customers despite forecasts for rain this weekend.
Britain’s largest water company will ban consumers from using hosepipes to fill paddling pools, water gardens and wash cars because of dwindling supplies after record-breaking heatwaves.
England received just 3 per cent of its average July rainfall so far this month, and the South and East have had no rain at all. However, the dry spell is forecast to end this weekend, with rain expected across the UK.
Rain is expected to continue intermittently throughout next week before dry and sunny conditions resume, according to the Met Office’s long-range forecast.
Thames Water’s reservoirs across the region were 89 per cent full at the end of June, with some individual sites even closer to being full. Farmoor Reservoir in Oxfordshire is 99 per cent full, which is above average for this time of year.
Thames Water said its customers were using 100 million more litres of water every day amid the hot weather. However, Farmoor alone holds almost 14 billion litres – equivalent to 5,600 Olympic swimming pools.
While the reservoirs are nearly full, Thames has admitted it cannot properly tap its reserves as it does not have the capacity to treat the volumes of water required.
Alistair Carmichael, the head of the environment committee, told The Telegraph the ban resulted from a lack of investment in water processing facilities. He said: “Hosepipe bans because of scarcity are one thing. But hosepipe bans because of poor infrastructure maintenance are quite another.”
The ban was announced on the same day Thames Water’s creditors made a last-ditch bid to avoid nationalisation of the debt-laden company by Andy Burnham. They offered the Government a “golden share” in the utility, which would confer control but keep Thames private.
Mr Carmichael said: “The saga of Thames is one of money being taken out of the company over many years, which could and should have been spent on maintaining and improving infrastructure. This is just the latest illustration of that.”
Ban blamed on lack of investment
Campaign group We Own It said: “This hosepipe ban is really indicative of decades of chronic underinvestment in our water sector.”
It is the sixth water company to impose a hosepipe ban, following South East Water, Southern Water, Cambridge Water, Affinity Water, Anglian Water and South West Water.
Severn Trent, Essex and Suffolk Water, Wessex Water and Portsmouth Water have urged customers to use water wisely, but have stopped short of a hosepipe ban.
The restrictions, which will begin on Thursday, will stop customers using water to clean their windows and for garden sprinklers.
The water company said 10 per cent more water than usual was being used by customers outside London and seven per cent more by those living in the capital.
Nevil Muncaster, the director of strategic water resources at Thames Water, said: “We would not be taking this step unless it was necessary to protect water supplies for everyone and the environment.
“Recent heatwaves and a very dry spring and summer have led to sustained high demand. While there is enough water for essential use, we need to reduce non-essential outdoor demand to keep taps flowing.
“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.
“Our teams are working 24/7 to keep water moving, fix leaks and support customers. We will keep the situation under close review and lift restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so.”
After a week without rain in much of the country, light rain showers are forecast in London this weekend. Areas of southern, central and eastern England are close to drought, according to the National Drought Group.
It comes days after the boss of Thames Water defended a pay rise to nearly £1m, saying he deserved it. The water company’s annual report showed that Chris Weston had received two pay rises since joining the struggling utilities giant.
His basic salary rose by nearly 14 per cent to £995,000 as of April.
Mr Weston received the pay rise as Thames Water battles to avoid nationalisation. The company’s debts swelled to £18.5bn in the 12 months to the end of March, and Thames warned it only had enough funding to see it through to the end of the year.
