Hosepipe Ban To Be Lifted In Sussex And Kent

Hosepipes of 1.4 million customers of South East Water in parts of Kent and Sussex can again be used as restrictions on their use have now been lifted.

Temporary Use Bans (TUBs) were put in place by the company on August 12 following the driest start to summer since 1976, resulting in record demands for water.

Since then, thanks to the support of customers observing the restrictions, and heavy rainfall during the past two months there has been a steady recovery of water resources which has helped ease the pressure on the struggling environment where all water is taken from.

The first week of November alone saw 107 per cent of the total long term average monthly rainfall and by 20 November there had been close to two months of rainfall in just three weeks.

This has resulted in the reservoirs starting to refill and the very dry soil responding by retaining the moisture and allowing water to again start seeping down to recharge the aquifers that hold groundwater.

Lee Dance, Head of Water Resources for South East Water said:

“In July, the South East received only eight per cent of average rainfall and demand for water from our 1.4 million customers in Kent and Sussex was exceptional. At one point we were producing enough water daily to supply four additional towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne.

“I would like to say thank you to our customers for adhering to the restrictions and finding ways to cut down on their water use at a time that not only were our supplies in reservoirs and in the ground under immense pressure but so was their local environment too.

“Now due to the consistent rainfall in the past four weeks we can lift our Temporary Use Ban as we have seen more than 2.5 billion litres of water run into Ardingly Reservoir, resulting in it now being close to 75 per cent full.

“Although there is normally a lag between rainfall and groundwater recovery, with the soils much wetter than they would normally be at this time of year, the rain we have had and are expecting, will more easily seep down and refill the water table allowing levels to start to rising back towards normal levels.

“Looking ahead to next summer, we do need people to continue to be mindful about how much water they use so all the sources where we draw water from both in the reservoirs and underground can continue to recover.

“During this exceptional period, we have also been trying new ways to manage our water resources. Among the initiatives underway has been a partnership with farmers and growers in priority areas to part-fund rainwater harvesting systems and provide expert advice on how to use water wisely on the farm.

“We have also published our draft Water Resources Management Plan which sets out how we will provide a reliable and resilient supply of drinking water between 2025 and 2075 while protecting the local environment.”

Latest demand for water and reservoir levels charts, along with water efficiency tips, can be seen at www.southeastwater.co.uk/about/updates/water-latest/   

For initiatives we have underway with farms go to https://www.southeastwater.co.uk/about/our-environment/catchment-management

To view the draft Water Resources Management Plan and to sign up for any consultation events visit www.southeastwater.co.uk/futurewater