From midnight on Wednesday, Thames Water cut off hosepipe access for its 10 million customers across London and the Thames Valley, pushing the total number of people under some form of hosepipe ban past 20 million. Eight water companies across England and Wales have now imposed temporary use bans as successive heatwaves leave supplies under strain.
The restrictions, which prohibit watering gardens, washing vehicles and windows, and filling pools, come after spring and early summer temperatures regularly exceeded 30C across much of southern and eastern England. Yet winter was much wetter than usual, raising questions about how effectively water resources are being managed and whether the UK is prepared for drier summers expected with climate change.
“Thames Water's hosepipe ban brings total affected to 20 million across eight water companies in England and Wales.”
“Without significant rainfall we could see increasing impacts on wildlife, agriculture and water resources as the summer progresses,” said Steve Turner, a hydrologist at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH).
The bans vary by provider. Affinity Water prohibits using pressure washers to clean patios and windows unless for essential building work. Anglian Water allows jet washers if connected to a water butt or recycled water storage. Cambridge Water, Southern Water, and South East Water ban non-essential pressure washing, though South East Water exempts businesses cleaning as a paid service. South West Water similarly bans pressure washers for home exteriors.
Large parts of England are in “prolonged dry weather” status – one step below drought – according to the Environment Agency, including East Anglia, the West Midlands, Devon, Cornwall, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, London, and the Solent and South Downs. In Wales, areas across the north and south-east have escalated to prolonged dry weather. Scotland monitors water scarcity, with several eastern areas in “moderate scarcity”.
The question now is how long the bans will last – and whether the UK’s water infrastructure can cope with the hotter, drier summers on the horizon.