London’s largest water company Thames Water has announced that it is to seek a Drought Order. If granted the order would give Thames the power to further restrict use of water by its five million customers in the capital.
Three million Thames customers in the Thames Valley, where rainfall has been higher, would be unaffected by the Drought Order, if and when granted.
The company says an Order application for the Thames Valley area (covering such areas as Banbury, Didcot, Guildford, Newbury, Oxford, Reading and Swindon) remains a possibility for later in the year.
Announcing the move Jeremy Pelczer, Chief Executive Officer of Thames Water, said: “We have had a hosepipe and sprinkler ban in place for two months now and, with the Environment Agency, have been looking carefully at whether further restrictions are needed, beyond the current hosepipe and sprinkler ban.”
“We simply don’t know how much rain we will get in the rest of the summer, and if the weather is unusually hot and dry we will need to restrict water use more than we are at present.”
Stressing that this was not a lightly taken decision Pelczer said “No water company likes restricting its customers’ use of water.
We are particularly mindful of the impact a Drought Order would have on many smaller businesses. This is why we would only implement any powers granted under a Drought Order as and when necessary”
Related Links: Save Water London (MayorWatch micro-site)
Thames Water Plc
