07/06/2012

Thames Water Could Lift Hosepipe Ban

Following recent heavy rainfall Thames Water has said it could lift its hosepipe ban sooner than expected.

The company, serving 8.8 million customers in London and the Thames Valley area, said it no longer expected to keep the ban through to the autumn.

Seven water firms across southern and eastern England brought in restrictions in April after two dry winters and warned they could last past the autumn and possibly into the winter.

However record rainfall across the UK in April and May followed the bans.

The latest drought briefing from the Environment Agency said the wet weather had significantly reduced the risk of drought and widespread water restrictions this summer.

Richard Aylard, sustainability director for Thames Water, said: “Unless the topsy-turvy British weather delivers an unexpectedly Saharan twist, we no longer expect to need to keep the ban in place right through to the autumn."

(H)


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