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The hosepipe ban will remain in place for South East Water customers
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'Confusion' as hosepipe ban remains in force

By Victoria Smith
June 07, 2012

The hosepipe ban will remain in place for South East Water customers, despite Thames Water announcing an imminent end to its restrictions.

South East Water says although rainfall in the last fortnight has boosted river and reservoir levels, it has had little impact on the region's groundwater sources.

The firm, along with three other south east water firms, says the water use restrictions are likely to stay in place until at least the autumn.

The confirmation follows Thames Water announcement that it expects to be able to withdraw its temporary use ban restricting the use of hosepipes "sooner rather than later".

Hosepipe ban could be lifted soon

Sutton and East Surrey Water, Veolia Water Central and Veolia Water Southeast have confirmed their bans will remain in place.

Paul Butler, managing director of South East Water said: “We understand that customers could be confused and frustrated as to why some companies are considering lifting restrictions, while we have to keep ours in place. The fact is the amount of water currently available in our underground reserves simply doesn’t support that course of action, and ahead of what could be much warmer, drier months.

“South East Water gets 75 per cent of the water it supplies from underground supplies, which are very low – some are approaching levels that we’ve never seen before. Conversely other companies get the majority of water supplies from rivers or reservoirs which responded well to all the early spring rainfall.

“Clearly drought affects different regions in different ways, and so we will continue to remind our customers that restrictions still apply through our water efficiency and publicity campaigns over the summer.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank them for the extraordinary efforts they have made so far, while reassuring them that we are also doing everything we can to secure their water supplies.”

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Most recent user comments 7 of 7

Hmm... how many reservoirs have been sold off in the last 30 years? Circa 600 million gallons worth if memory serves... Wonder why we've got a water shortage. The nations water companies should never have been sold off.

Nick M
12/06/2012 at 11:22

Something is not right, my garden is flooded !!!

Big John
12/06/2012 at 00:48

Damiano,

What are you proposing? That we cover the remaining green areas with rainwater collection that leads to reservoirs?

Rainwater that doesn't go into the groundwater in general finds itself in streams and then rivers. These are already used to a large extent to fill reservoirs.

Part of the problem with the goundwater shortage is due to the fact that we are concreting over too many of our greenfields. Each new housing estate that we build not only increases demand but also reduces the amount of water reaching the aquifers and rivers. Much of the rain that falls onto roads and hard surfaces unfortunately just evaporates.

PoneRana, Wokingham
08/06/2012 at 11:27

Wouldn't rainwater help fill a reservoir, Pone? As opposed to letting it all seep into the water table and collect it from there.

Damiano_Tommassi, Wokingham
07/06/2012 at 17:17

Confusion?

If you are a Thames Water customer, it is likely that the hosepipe ban will be lifted soon.

If you are a SE Water customer it won't.

What exactly is 'confusing' about that?

HatsOfDoom
07/06/2012 at 17:05

Thames Water has a major resource from which to fill its reservoirs, namely the river Thames. South East Water has no such resource. There is no point in building reservoirs if there are no major rivers from which to fill them.

PoneRana, Wokingham
07/06/2012 at 13:40

“South East Water gets 75 per cent of the water it supplies from underground supplies"

Maybe a rethink needed by SouthEast water on future water strategy. Existing seems to be 'Lets not build reservoirs - lets suck it out of the ground where it is most inappropriate to do so'. Short term thinking leading to long term problems.