Approximately 350,000 residents in the UK are facing a hosepipe ban during the country’s third heatwave of the year. Cambridge Water has announced the imposition of this ban, the first in the area in 30 years, which will be enforceable starting at 1am BST on July 17. The company, serving customers in Cambridgeshire and parts of Bedfordshire, cited the need for the ban due to extreme heat, a substantial increase in water usage, and below-average rainfall in recent months.
The water company explained that the high demand for water during prolonged hot spells surpasses their ability to extract, treat, and distribute water efficiently. Elena Karpathakis, the managing director at Cambridge Water, emphasized the critical need for cooperation from the public, stating that this decision was taken after more than three decades since the last temporary hosepipe ban during the UK drought of 1995.
Cambridgeshire has been experiencing lower-than-usual rainfall since March, with April being exceptionally dry, followed by heatwaves in May and June that brought record temperatures. With temperatures reaching 35.5°C in Wisley, Surrey, on Thursday, the Met Office reported that this marked the eighth day this year with temperatures exceeding 34°C, setting a new record for such high temperatures in a calendar year.
Due to the ongoing hot and dry weather conditions, Cambridge Water has been depleting its underground reserves faster than usual. The company stressed the importance of the ban in safeguarding local water resources and the region’s vital chalk streams. The restrictions prohibit the use of hosepipes for non-essential activities such as watering gardens, filling pools, and washing cars.
South East Water was the first to implement a hosepipe ban on July 3 in parts of Kent, including various towns. Similarly, Southern Water will be introducing hosepipe restrictions for around one million customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight starting Friday.