Despite a seemingly wet few months, hosepipe bans and water restrictions may be needed in 2018.
Rainfall during autumn and winter over the last two years has been lower than average. This crucial period has a knock-on effect that leads to lower stocks in the spring and summer months.
In January 2018 the Environment Agency was warning that these two years may well produce water restrictions in the summer of 2018. However, above average rainfall (including snow) in March and April of 2018 has eased these fears for most parts of the country.
The South East of England remains the biggest worry for water suppliers. Affinity Water supplies water to 3.6 million customers in various areas of the South East. They state that their groundwater levels are below average and these will not be fully replenished during the spring and summer months.
Their warning is worrying to the South Eastern population – “The possibility of restrictions later on in the year remain in place and this will be dependent on the demand for water, particularly if demand is higher than usual over the spring and summer.”
Thames Water also indicated below average groundwater supplies, though reservoirs were 96% full. The picture is similar for much of the South East.
Affinity Water offer the following water saving tips:
- Shorten your shower “ take a 4-minute shower, you’ll save around 50 litres (even cutting your shower time by 1 minute can save up to 15 litres)
- Running your bath just an inch shorter than usual can save an average of 5 litres.
- Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, and save over 6,500 litres of water a year and encourage others to do the same
- If you have a dual flush toilet, use the small button on your toilet for liquids)
- A save a flush device in your toilet can save one litre per flush, saving up to 5,000 litres a year.
Updates:
Come back to the website for more news about hosepipe bans and water restrictions during 2018. We also have a summary of the Current Situation.
15 replies on “Hosepipe Ban Possible in 2018”
It takes roughly 20 gallons of water to make a pint of beer. I’ll say no more than that!
There’s been a leak small i know but down the road to. Me Stoneleigh Park ROAD in the 190,s. region a good few days now right outside some ones house?
Stoneleigh resident.
I have a natural spring that runs through land drains on my land, my local water company have nothing to do with this spring (If it floods or blocks its my problem). Does anyone know if it would be against any hosepipe ban if I put a water pump into it and watered my garden using an hosepipe?
Based on the rules of previous hosepipe bans it should be fine to do what you want. You may wish to contact your local water company though to clarify.
Why don’t the water companies install water meters for every household in the UK? You pay for your usage of water.
I couldn’t have a water meter the water company would have to dismantle half my kitchen as I am on a shared line to two other properties…..so not everyone is on a meter, but I would like to mention. I can remember when we didn’t pay for water it was free, it’s only since turning private companies do we have all these problems
Are you really naive to believe that water was free prior to privatisation?
The fact remains that more and more people are moving in to the south-east with their consequential effects on water usage and availability. More companies are opening or moving in to the area and more land is being concreted over, allowing rain water to drain off instead of filtering down to access the reservoirs. None so blind!
An excellent reply Martino
It is not nonsense advice, it is where you can achieve actual savings doing something that does not involve a great deal of effort. You do not need the water to flow while you are brushing teeth, so why not just do it? On top of that you can also have meat free days and contribute, in a more indirect way, to reduce waste, greenhouse gas emissions, environmental degradation, pollution of water courses, etc. Why not take the advice of people whose job is to monitor the availability (and scarcity) of a critical resource and adjust your lifestyle a little bit, in ways that would not affect you at all? Have you ever been without water for a few hours? What makes you think that water is available in unlimited supply? And lastly, where did you take that figure of 11365 litres to a pound of beef? Have you considered that the meat you’re giving a miss may as well have been farmed in other parts of the country or abroad?
So we can kill all the Beef Bulls for one day and then start feeding them the day after. I feel really sorry for you.
Why bother with the nonsense advice over brushing your teeth and running your bath an inch shorter when it requires 11365 Litres of water to produce 1 pound of beef?
Just by having meat free days you’re saving 11365 Litres of water a time so why live with all these restrictions at home when all you need to do is give meat a miss a few times a week?
We intend to lay turf in the garden over the next couple of weeks. What’s the likely chance if this weather that a hosepipe ban will be implemented for the next four to six weeks
Where do you live?
Affinity Water all winter long has been replacing the stop cocks outside peoples houses the stop cocks they are replacing have been fine for decades but now there ain’t a street without one of them sending out gallons of water turning the path into a river and they go on about low water levels ?.