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Anglian Water says rain has delayed need for immediate restrictions but hose pipe ban could be coming




Water company bosses have not ruled out introducing a hose pipe ban later in the summer.

Anglian Water says the need for restrictions has been delayed thanks to yesterday’s rainfall (Tuesday, July 15) which have helped to replenish river and reservoir levels.

But a hose pipe ban could be implemented later in the summer due to the uncertainty hanging over future weather forecasts.

Cam Valley Forum has called on Cambridge Water to impose a hosepipe ban
Cam Valley Forum has called on Cambridge Water to impose a hosepipe ban

Yesterday the National Drought Group, which includes the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, farmers, CRT, angling groups and conservation experts, gave Lincolnshire ‘prolonged dry weather’ status following the driest spring in 100 years. The East Midlands is also now officially in drought.

Anglian Water’s Director of Water Services, Ian Rule said that they are monitoring the situation and that teams are out fixing water leaks.

He said: “The East of England is the driest part of the country, so we’re used to seeing a lack of rainfall in our region and we plan accordingly. Our focus on leakage, and the investment we’ve put in place to give us resilience in the face of climate change has helped to delay the need for restrictions, but the last few months have been exceptionally dry, even by our standards.

Rutland Water
Rutland Water

“River levels had been looking very low following the historically dry spring, but they have responded better than expected to recent rainfall. There is also some rain in the forecast over the coming weeks which, if it materialises, could provide some welcome respite for the region’s rivers and reservoirs.

“However, the forecast is far from certain, so we’re closely monitoring the situation and if the exceptionally dry weather does continue, then restrictions might still be needed this summer.

“We don’t want to put restrictions in place unnecessarily, but protecting the environment and the vital agricultural sector in the region in the face of such unusually dry conditions means leaving as much water in the environment as possible, so we have to strike a careful balance.

“Our teams have been working round the clock to fix leaks and bursts, with more than 250 people dedicated to managing and reducing leakage. We already have the lowest level of leakage in the industry and that has helped us be resilient in the face of such extreme dry weather. We aim to bolster that even further by putting £10million into reducing leakage this year, and renewing over 1,000 km of pipes in our network over the next 5 years - 170km of which will be renewed this year.

“However, the dry ground we’re seeing at the moment means our water pipes are at greater risk of shifting and breaking, so we’re seeing an increase in issues being reported to us and it’s an area we are continuing to focus resources on.

“We’ve also heard from lots of our customers who tell us that they have already made changes to reduce their water use to help protect the environment, which has been great to see. Whilst we might not need a hosepipe ban just yet, we’re really grateful to everyone who has played their part by using a little less water and we’re asking customers to continue to do their bit, even small changes can make a big difference.”



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