Hosepipe ban lifted in Kent and Sussex

Saturday, 5 August 2023 07:05

By Lee Everest @laeverest

The ban was lifted yesterday with immediate effect.

Known as a Temporary Use Ban (TUB), it was put in place by the company following the hottest June on record.

The hot weather resulted in record-breaking water use, where the company needed to supply an additional 138 million litres of water a day – the equivalent of supplying four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne.

South East Water was left with no choice but to introduce the Temporary Use Ban to bring demand down and maintain supplies.

Since then it has been monitoring closely its position, looking at several indicators to determine the appropriate time to lift the restrictions.

This included reviewing water demand levels as well as longer-term weather forecasts and resource availability all on a weekly basis.

South East Water’s CEO David Hinton said: “We took into account the wider context of extreme heat currently affecting parts of Europe. We approached our reviews with a sensible degree of caution as we wanted to protect the water supply for all our customers and the environment.

“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, reducing the level of demand.

“Although at the moment it does not feel like summer, we do hope people will continue to be mindful about how much water they use, particularly on hot days, when demand is higher.”

Latest demand for water and reservoir levels charts, along with water efficiency tips, can be seen at: southeastwater.co.uk/waterlatest