Hosepipe ban issued after little to no rainfall

A temporary hosepipe ban has been put in place for Essex & Suffolk Water customers after "prolonged dry weather" and "little to no rainfall".

The company said restrictions would officially begin at 01:00 BST on Monday, but asked households to limit their water use immediately to help conserve water.

Essex and Suffolk Water services 2.1 million customers across two separate supply areas; the Essex area covers parts of south Essex and east London, while the Suffolk area covers parts of Suffolk and Norfolk.

Kieran Ingram, water director, said: "This isn't a decision we've taken lightly, but it's the right thing to do."

The temporary measure means customers risk receiving a fine of up to £1,000 if they use their hosepipe to perform tasks such as filling up a swimming pool or watering their gardens.

It comes after Anglian Water, Affinity Water and Cambridge Water, which supply areas in the East of England, put a hosepipe ban in place in early July.

A spokesperson for Essex and Suffolk Water said the weather has meant that customers have been using an average of an extra 29 million litres of water per day.

It is the first time since June 1997 that the company has had to put restrictions in place, they added.

The temporary ban only applies to the domestic use of hosepipes.

East Anglia is the driest region in the country, and the East of England has seen its second-driest spring on record, with only 39% of expected rainfall.

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