Thames Water has brought in a hosepipe ban from next Wednesday (August 24), for all of its fifteen million customers.
That means most people in London will not be able to use hosepipes to water the garden, fill paddling pools and hot tubs, or clean vehicles, windows and patios. If you live in south-east London, Thames Water is likely to be your water supplier, but you can check here.
It comes after the driest July on record, and an extremely hot and dry August. South-West Water, which covers Cornwall and part of Devon, also announced a hosepipe ban last week. Droughts have been declared in ten areas across England, including Kent and south London.
Sarah Bentley, the chief executive of Thames Water, said bringing in the ban had been a “very difficult decision”.
She said: “After months of below-average rainfall and the recent extreme temperatures in July and August, water resources in our region are depleted.
“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 future-proof supplies.”
The ban applies to hosepipes, and anything attached to them, like sprinklers and jet washers.
You can use mains water from a watering can or bucket instead of a hose, but suppliers have asked people to use water carefully.
Some people have disabilities or mobility issues that make using a watering can difficult. If you have a blue badge or are on Thames Water’s priority list, you can still use a hosepipe for the following:
- Watering your garden or allotment and plants
- Cleaning your vehicles
- Cleaning windows, walls, paths, patios or other artificial outdoor surfaces like artificial grass
- Filling or maintaining a domestic pond
You can join the priority register for free here.
Thames Water has been criticised for the scale of the leaks in its pipes, which lead to water being wasted. Company bosses said they knew this was unacceptable, and its engineers were fixing more than 1,000 leaks a week.