The GMB union has been told that a hosepipe ban was likely in two weeks, though Severn Trent have not confirmed this.

The company has 8 million customers and covers various parts of the midlands, including Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

Read Severn Trent’s statement about the current situation:

Severn Trent today confirmed that there is an increasing likelihood of water restrictions in some parts of the region, unless we see a return to seasonal average rainfall within the near future.
The situation is under constant review and no decision has been taken.  Our first priority is always to maintain continuity of water supply to our customers and we will open up a dialogue with them and our stakeholders before any restrictions are proposed.
Parts of the Midlands have seen the second driest Spring since records began and, although key reservoirs were full at the end of February, (99% by 7th March) the combination of the long dry spell and increased customer demand has put pressure on supply resources.
We are looking at every option to conserve supplies and are continuing to focus on leakage after one of the coldest Decembers for over 100 years.  Our leakages are now back on target thanks to the hard work and dedication of our people and at least 50% of all leaks fixed within our 3 day target.

Here’s the Agency’s statement in full:

Parts of the Anglian region are now officially in a state of drought, Defra and the Environment Agency announced today.

Areas in the South West, South East, Midlands and Wales are experiencing near-drought conditions following the driest spring on record in South East and Central Southern England, and the driest right across England and Wales since 1990.

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman will hold a second drought summit to review the impacts of the continuing dry weather and consider what more can be done.
Mrs Spelman said:

“Drought has hit parts of East Anglia, with other areas in England and Wales also giving grounds for concern.

“Water companies are confident that supplies are high enough so that widespread restrictions to the public are unlikely. We’re doing all we can to reduce the impact on agriculture and wildlife, but everyone can play their part.

“Households know how to use less water and everyone can do their bit to use water more wisely, not only through the summer, but throughout the year.”

Utility companies, farmers, water companies and environment groups are meeting today to discuss what can be done to share resources, save water and build resilience for future dry conditions.

Although some areas across the country have benefited from recent rainfall, this has done little to improve the situation in the driest areas.

Agriculture in particular has been affected by the dry weather, with the overall picture mixed for producers and growers.  Some horticultural crops have benefited from an earlier season and high consumer demand, but the lack of rainfall is now causing more general challenges for the sector and  some cereal crops are already facing irreversible effects.

The Environment Agency is monitoring rivers and will respond quickly to pollution incidents or low oxygen levels and wildlife stranded by rivers drying up.

The organisation is working closely with farmers and other water abstractors to find ways to make water resources go further. In parts of the central Fens, some farmers and growers have volunteered to irrigate only at night, to reduce evaporation and some abstractors are forming water co-operatives to share the limited amounts available.
The Environment Agency’s Chief Executive, Dr Paul Leinster said:

“The Environment Agency, water companies and other water users have plans in place to cope with drought to ensure there is enough water for people, businesses and the environment.

“Many rivers have low flows as result of the dry weather which can harm wildlife and increase the impact of pollution incidents, so we are stepping up our monitoring to be able to respond quickly.

Low river flows also impact on business, as it abstracts millions of gallons from rivers on a daily basis and we need to ensure this is sustainable. It’s important that we all use water wisely at all times of the year, and especially during drought.”

The hosepipe ban was put in place on July 9th after the driest December to June for more than 70 years. Good rainfall between July and August has enabled the ban to be lifted although some reservoirs in the region are still below average for this time of year.

United Utilities supply demand manager, Richard Blackwell said: “Reservoir levels have risen in recent weeks in Cumbria and North Wales and have stabilised in the Pennines with the rainfall over the last month. We now have sufficient reservoir storage overall to be able to lift the ban. This will come as welcome news to our millions of customers, who have been extremely patient and conscientious in their water usage.

“Our key reservoirs in Cumbria and North Wales are now at the kind of levels we would expect for the time of year. Pennine reservoir levels remain below normal, with some still at very low levels, but we are now able to compensate for this shortfall by moving more water from Cumbria and North Wales using our integrated pipe network. Overall, the situation is much improved and the ban is no longer required to safeguard essential supplies.

“We’d like to thank customers for bearing with us since July 9. Although the ban is over, some reservoirs are still very low, so it’s important people continue to do what they can to save water around the home and garden.”

What are your thoughts on the hosepipe ban and how it has been handled by United Utilities? Please use the comments box below to have your say.

It’s really very simple at the moment.

Banned:

Washing of private vehicles with a hosepipe. This includes cars, vans, caravans, trailers and motorhomes

Watering of private gardens with a hosepipe or sprinkler. This includes lawns, flower beds and ornamental gardens.

Watering private allotments with a hosepipe or sprinkler.

Allowed:

Using a watering can in the garden.

Using a bucket and sponge to wash your car.

Watering and cleaning animals and animal areas (ie: yards and stables)

Topping up a pond

Of course these rules may change if the drought becomes worse in the region. Another common question is “does this ban cover where I live?”. We suggest using the postcode finder on United Utilities home page for the answer.

Reservoirs in the region are expected to fall further than their already low levels during July and August.

“Environmental damage” is also a risk in the South West, Wales and central England said the agency.

In spite of the large amount of snow over the winter, much of the country has recorded below average rainfall for each month so far.

From January to April the North West and Wales had their driest first four months since 1964 and 1976 respectively, the agency said.

The Environment Agency’s national drought coordinator Stuart Sampson, said that water levels in one Lake District reservoir which should be 80 per cent full at this time of year had fallen below 69 per cent.

“Other nearby reservoirs are similarly low. All of these reservoir levels are declining at a rate that is similar to the 1995/96 drought. However, any substantial rainfall could reverse this position.” – Mr. Sampson added.

To see the latest situation in all areas, look at our Current Situation Page

The regulator is demanding that water companies help customers save at least 23 million litres of water a day (Ml/d), or an average saving of one litre per property per day.

These targets would see water companies increasing activity to help customers save an estimated 40 per cent more water, when compared with the past three years. The water saved would fill more than 3,300 Olympic swimming pools every year. This reduction would come on top of savings from targets on leakage from pipes, and increasing water metering.

Average household consumption per head across England and Wales in 2007/08 was 148 litres a day, but the water usage of households varies significantly from company to company.

Regina Finn, Ofwat Chief Executive, said:

“Water is an increasingly valuable resource and we all have a responsibility to conserve it. Successes in Europe show that helping households to use water wisely can save significant amounts of water, reducing the need for expensive new sources.

“Some companies need to do more to help customers cut waste and use water efficiently. This is good customer service and helps customers on meters control their bills.

“Companies will be stretched by these targets, but this is about customers getting a fair deal, and using water sustainably.”

When it comes to the amount of water used by households, England and Wales lags significantly behind many of our European neighbours, including Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Germany has benefited from water efficiency drives. Average consumption was reduced by 15 per cent (22 litres) between 1990 – 2005 to 125 litres per person per household per day.

If England and Wales followed Germany’s lead and reduced household consumption by 22 litres per person per day, enough water could be saved to supply the needs of the combined population of London, Birmingham and Cardiff.1

In the Netherlands household usage was reduced to 124 litres per person per day by 2004 – a reduction of approximately ten per cent over ten years. A key factor in this reduction was an increase in usage of devices such as water saving toilets and shower heads.

Companies must deliver savings by providing household and business customers with information on how to use water sensibly. They must also promote the use of water saving devices. The water efficiency targets exclude savings from supply pipe repairs and replacements.

Ofwat will not allow customers’ bills to rise to achieve these targets, which will be introduced on a trial basis from April 2009 and come into full effect in 2010.

The targets will help companies play their part in achieving the Government’s long term ambition of reducing individual water usage to 130 litres per person per day from its current level of around 150 litres.

Dame Yve Buckland, Chair of the Consumer Council for Water, said: “Competition to date has not served business customers well. While competition for some business customers has existed since 2005, no one has switched supplier. Only about 2,000 businesses are currently eligible, and there is little financial advantage for them to make the change. Business customers have told us that they are frustrated at this lack of progress.”

Research launched last week by the Consumer Council for Water and Ofwat has shown, however, that household customers have mixed feelings about whether or not they would like the opportunity to choose their water and sewerage provider.

According to the research, fifty seven per cent of customers said that they supported the principle of competition in the water industry. When they understood that in practice some customers could be worse off, only a third of those surveyed still supported competition, one third did not, and the rest were unsure.

Dame Yve continued: “If competition for household customers is to happen it needs to live up to customers’ expectations, deliver tangible benefits, and those benefits need to outweigh the costs.

“While ninety per cent of customers said that they are happy with the service they receive from their supplier, they are not as happy about the cost. Those customers that welcome competition believe that it would lead to lower prices, with most saying that they would expect to save 20 per cent by switching supplier.

“The government needs to decide if competition in the water industry could realistically deliver that. If not, customers will need to be convinced of how competition would, in practice, benefit them. They will also want assurances that lessons have been learned from mistakes in other sectors. Less than half of those surveyed (forty eight per cent) thought that competition in gas and electricity has been good for customers.

“We look forward to working alongside Ofwat and government on their reviews of competition, so that the views of consumers, business and domestic, form the basis of any changes to the system.”

The Cave Review recommends:

• the introduction of legislation to allow 28,000 then 162,000 large public and private sector organisations in England and Wales to choose their water and sewerage retailer for the first time.

• retail divisions of water companies should be made legally independent from their network business.

• a series of changes to incentivise new water and wastewater suppliers to enter the market.

These recommendations aim to reduce costs and increase service levels for all customers; support the more efficient use of water; and help companies to better meet the challenges facing the industry including climate change, containing costs, rising consumer expectations, and water efficiency.

Launching the interim report, Professor Martin Cave said:
“Extending competition will deliver real benefits for customers and the environment through lower prices, more choice, higher service levels and the better use of water. These changes could benefit the economy by around £600 million over the next 30 years.”

The final report and further recommendations will be delivered in spring 2009.

• Of the 414 bathing waters in England, 398 met the mandatory standards;

• Only 16 failed the standards, meaning there was a compliance rate of 96.1 per cent; and

• A total of 272 waters met the UK’s much tighter guideline standard. Bathing water quality has improved over the past decade – in 1998, only 89.9 per cent of England’s bathing waters met the Directive’s mandatory standards. This rose to a record 99.5 per cent in 2006.

Exceptionally wet weather in July, August and September has resulted in the slightly lower standard of the water this year. Ten of the 16 failing bathing waters are in the South West, which was hit hard by heavy rainfall during the summer. Rainfall causes pollutants from agriculture and urban areas to run off, with negative impacts on the quality of bathing waters. Defra is working with farmers to reduce water pollution from agricultural sources, through the Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative and the Nitrate Action Programme. Dealing with diffuse water pollution is a difficult job as it has a huge variety of sources and Defra is looking at a number of ways of tackling the problem, including the encouragement of sustainable drainage systems and correction of sewer misconnections, and regulations to control misuse of the drainage system.