Water company issues first hosepipe ban in decades

A water company has announced its first hosepipe ban caused by drought in more than 50 years, following the lead of other suppliers across the West.

Bristol Water says its "temporary restriction", will come into force from 00:01 BST on Thursday 27 August, to protect water resources in the River Severn.

Wessex Water, Thames Water and South West Water have already introduced bans this summer, with the South West formally declared as being in drought earlier this month.

"Introducing a hosepipe ban is never a decision we take lightly, and we fully appreciate the inconvenience it will cause," said Richard Stanbrook, director for drinking water services at Bristol Water.

This marks the first hosepipe ban in the Bristol Water area caused by drought since 1975, when a dry summer was then followed by 16 months of low rainfall.

However Bristol Water also introduced a short ban in 1990 because of a hole in the bottom of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, which then collapsed.

In a statement announcing the latest ban, Bristol Water said although the restriction did not come into force until Thursday, people were being asked to follow the ban immediately.

It includes not using hosepipes for watering gardens, washing cars, patios or boats or filling swimming and paddling pools.

When the weather is as dry as it has been this summer, Bristol Water takes more than half of its supply from river sources, including the Severn via the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal.

However, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales have now applied a drought order to protect the river.

Bristol Water has also pointed to warnings around El Niño, a powerful natural climate phenomenon which pushes up global temperatures and could increase the risks of extreme weather.

Stanbrook said: "After an extended period of exceptionally low rainfall, combined with sustained high demand during the warmer weather, our region's rivers are under significant pressure.

"This is reflected in the Environment Agency's decision to apply for a drought order on the River Severn, where we take a proportion of our water during the summer months.

"The water resources we depend on, particularly the River Severn, support the wildlife, habitats and species that rely on water directly or indirectly, and it's critical we all carefully balance public water use with water needed for our natural environment to thrive.

"We take our responsibility for preserving the water environment very seriously and we know our customers do too. With next year predicted to be the warmest year on record, and with the added pressures from El Niño, we must all think about how we can protect the environment for future years, as well as today."

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