South East Water announces ban on hoses and sprinklers to customers in Kent and Sussex | Business newsletter
South East Water has introduced a ban on hoses and sprinklers for its customers in Kent and Sussex.
The ban will begin on August 12, with an end date yet to be decided.
It comes just a few days after Southern Water announced it First tornado ban of the year for Hampshire and Isle of Wight . customers. That ban begins Friday.
South East Water said its ban was necessary to ensure there was enough water for essential uses and to protect the environment.
It said: “This is a time of severe weather conditions across the UK.
“Official figures show this is the driest July on record since 1935, and the period from November 2021 to July 2022 is the driest eight months since 1976.
“During July in the Southeast, we see only 8% of the average rainfall for the month, and the long-term forecast for August and September is similar weather.”
It added: “This summer’s demand for water has broken all previous records, including the COVID-locked heatwave.
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“We’re already producing an extra 120 million liters of water a day to supply our customers, which is equivalent to supplying four other towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne every day.”
South East Water supplies 520 million liters of water a day to 2.2 million customers.
Water is drawn from more than 250 boreholes, six rivers and six reservoirs.
The company’s website says all customers in Kent and Sussex will be affected by the ban except for those listed on the priority service registry.
Read more:
Britain experienced its driest July in over a century while the UK was at its driest since 1984
Where does our water come from, where do we use it, and what happens during drought?
Customers in Berkshire and Hampshire will not be affected, it added: “While demand in our supply areas in Berkshire and Hampshire has also increased significantly, we have not experienced issues. water supply similar to those in Kent and Sussex.
“For now, we can continue to ask customers to put in place a voluntary restriction on the amount of water they use at home.
“We are continuing to monitor the situation and will advise customers if the situation changes.”
This ban means that hoses connected to the mains water supply, including garden sprinklers, are not allowed.
Violating the rules can result in fines of up to £1,000.
Shuja Khan, chief executive officer of data company Arqiva, says having a water smartwatch can help people control their usage.
“Most people don’t know how much water they use each day because it can be really difficult to conceptualize,” he said.
“For example, every 10 minutes of use, the average faucet uses 170 liters of water, or nearly 19 flushes in the same time frame.
“If people knew that just one hour of hose usage is equivalent to the amount of water consumed by the average family of four in two days, they could rethink their gardening model.”
