United Utilities is planning to implement a temporary use ban affecting seven million people in the north-west of England from 5 August – the measure means customers will be banned from using hosepipes to water gardens or wash cars.
The water company has been encouraging customers to voluntarily use water efficiently, by avoiding the use of water hungry devices, particularly outside in the garden.
The utility has been warning for some time that if demand did not reduce further and there was no significant change in the weather enforced restrictions were more likely to be needed.
Dr Martin Padley, Water Services Director at United Utilities commented:
"Despite some recent rainfall, reservoir levels are still lower than we would expect at this time of year and, with forecasters predicting a return to hot dry weather for the rest of July we will need to impose some temporary restrictions on customers.
"We are enormously grateful to customers for having helped reduce the demand on our network over the last couple of weeks but unless we get a period of sustained rainfall before 5 August these restrictions will help us safeguard essential water supplies for longer."
Behind the scenes the utility has been working exceptionally hard to avoid the need for restrictions by managing resources carefully and using its integrated pipe network to move water around the region, to reduce demand on those reservoir sources which are lower.
At the weekend the water company changed its blend of water using more from boreholes in Egremont and less from Ennerdale and introduced harder water into taps across Copeland and parts of Allerdale.
United Utilities said the change would result in a greater mineral content in the water supply as it increased the amount of water it takes from local boreholes. The change is to help protect flows in the River Ehen during prolonged dry weather.
The water company is currently constructing a new pipeline and water treatment works to bring soft water from Thirlmere into West Cumbria - however the scheme will not be complete until 2022.
The company is supplying around 25% more water than usual to keep pace with a surge in demand caused by the hot weather.
There are currently no plans for other water companies in England who have adequate supplies to impose similar bans. NI Water introduced a hosepipe ban in Northern Ireland at the end of June.
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