Thames Water defend hosepipe ban one month on
The hosepipe ban followed hot, dry weather in places across the south of England
It has been just over one month since Thames Water introduced a Temporary Use Ban (hosepipe ban) to parts of its network in the Thames Valley including in Swindon and in areas of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire.
Nevil Muncaster, Strategic Water Resources Director at Thames Water, said:
“I want to thank customers for helping to save water across their homes and gardens since we implemented the temporary use ban. These welcomed reductions have really supported our efforts to maintain stable reservoir levels through this hot dry summer. We’re also doing our part to help protect supplies, finding and fixing over 1,450 leaks and installing over 34,000 smart meters in the Thames Valley since the start of June.
“While there have been spells of wet weather, so far in August, we have received just three per cent of the long-term average rainfall for the month which is contributing to the overall strain on water resources across the region.
“We still need prolonged and significant rainfall to replenish supplies, and based on current forecasts, we anticipate the hosepipe ban will remain in place as we continue to monitor reservoir levels. It is important to remember every drop of water we use comes from the environment, reducing water use helps to protect the health of the local waterways and wildlife.”
Since June 1, Thames Water say they have fixed over 1,450 leaks in the area affected by the Temporary Use Ban.
Since the hosepipe ban started a month ago, the company have calculated that it’s saved over 5 million litres of water a day.
Yesterday, Thames Water were ordered to pay back nearly a fifth of there £122-million-pound-debt by September 30th, after the regulator OFWAT handed them the record fine for 'underfunding it's infrastructure'