Thames Water issues update as over 2 million people face restrictions

A spokesperson for Thames Water confirmed the company are continuing to monitor river levels, reservoir levels, and groundwater levels as South East Water introduce a hosepipe ban.

South East Water announced that 2.4 million customers in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire will be affected by temporary restrictions from Saturday.

The company is urging residents to cut back on water usage immediately, asking them not to use hosepipes for gardens, cars, patios, boats, or swimming pools.

The ban was previously in place for customers in Kent only.

Thames Water continues to urge customers to stop using hoses and sprinklers, delay washing vehicles, stop filling up paddling pools, turn off taps when not in use, report leaks and only use the water you need.

The company reported a “decline in river levels” and the need to “protect some groundwater sources” due to lower-than-average rainfall, hot weather, and high demand for water.

Douglas Whitfield, water supply director at South East Water, said: “Our absolute priority has to be making sure there is always enough water for everyone’s essential daily needs: drinking, cooking and hygiene.

“To safeguard our shared resource and help prevent any homes from facing a sudden loss of water, we sadly need to ask our communities to not use their hosepipes immediately.

“We are deeply sorry for the disruption this causes, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone helping us protect water supplies in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.”

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A spokesperson for Thames Water confirmed the company are continuing to monitor river levels, reservoir levels, and groundwater levels as South East Water introduce a hosepipe ban. (Image: NQ)

The announcement comes as central and south-east England have experienced the longest unbroken spell of no recorded rainfall this century, according to Met Office figures.

An average of zero rainfall has been measured across the organisation’s weather stations in both regions for 14 days in a row, from July 2 to July 15, according to the latest available data.

The Environment Agency reports that reservoir storage levels in England are currently at 79%, around five percentage points below the long-term average for this time of year.

Six reservoirs, including Wimbleball in Somerset and Grafham in Cambridgeshire, are classed as having “notably low” levels.

Blagdon reservoir in Somerset is classed as “exceptionally low.”

The announcement comes after 28 days this year have seen temperatures exceed 30C somewhere in the UK.

At the end of June Thames Water confirmed soil was drier than average, river flow in the River Thames and River Lee were below average, and reservoirs in London were 89 per cent full which is below average.

However, the water company confirmed Farmoor Reservoir was 99 per cent full, above average for this time of year.