Anglian Water has announced a temporary water use ban – also known as a hosepipe ban - for the East of England - the utility has not needed to implement a hosepipe ban for more than a decade.
The water company has announced the ban asking customers to help conserve water as the third heatwave of the year and warmest spring on record continues to put strain on rivers, streams and on water supplies.
Many rivers in the East are at notably or exceptionally low levels and reservoirs are at lower levels than expected for the time of year.
The move follows the second driest spring on record in the East of England which, combined with record-breaking temperatures, have led to exceptionally high demand for water.
The decision to introduce the ban follows months of prolonged dry weather, warm temperatures and three successive heat waves, which have seen the company producing 30% more water than usual, as well as heat-related challenges affecting normal water treatment and production.
The temporary restrictions will be implemented immediately and enforced from 1am on Saturday 11th July. To help protect water supplies and the environment, the company is asking customers to live within the spirit of the restrictions immediately. This means that customers should not use hosepipes for watering their gardens, washing cars, patios and boats or filling swimming and paddling pools.
The announcement comes as several other water companies also introduce bans in response to the conditions.
The Environment Agency reported this week that the majority of rivers across the region served by Anglian Water are below normal in terms of flow, with a number at notably low or exceptionally low levels, after only 39% of the expected rain fell this spring. Anglian Water’s reservoirs are also less full than usual for this time of year, with storage levels dropping quicker than expected.
Dr Geoff Darch, Head of Strategic Asset Planning for Anglian Water explained that implementing a the ban had been a very difficult decision to make and had not been taken lightly.
He explained::
“This year has been exceptionally hot and dry and we're already into the third heatwave of the summer. Understandably customers have wanted to stay cool and have fun in the sun, and our teams are working 24/7 to keep taps flowing across the region, but the unrelenting conditions are placing the environment and water supplies under increasing strain. Every day of sustained hot weather increases the challenge of balancing supply and demand, and we are now at the point where we need to ask customers to help by hanging up the hosepipe, letting lawns go brown, cars go dirty and using water even more wisely to help protect the environment and ensure water remains available for all customers.
“As the driest region in the country, and the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, Anglian Water is well versed in preparing for periods of prolonged dry weather and we invest hundreds of millions every year to build our region’s resilience against the challenges we face – investments such as installing 1.5m smart meters, our mammoth 300km strategic interconnecting pipeline, which is already delivering huge benefits for drought resilience in Ipswich and Colchester,
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