Hosepipe ban begins for parts of Berkshire

Thames Water's Temporary Use Ban (TUB) has come into effect today for parts of Berkshire, with postcodes beginning RG4, RG8, and RG9 all affected.

The restrictions were announced last week (14 July) following the driest spring in over a century, and England’s warmest June on record. The Thames Valley area has been placed in a Prolonged Dry Weather status by the Environment Agency, meaning there is a heightened risk of drought. Thames Water says the TUB is the next stage of their drought plan to help protect customers’ supplies and the environment.

Under a TUB, customers are asked not to use hosepipes, including for cleaning cars, watering gardens or allotments, filling paddling pools and swimming pools or cleaning windows.

The TUB won't impact businesses where water use is a core part of their purpose, for example garden centres/car washes.

Nevil Muncaster, Strategic Water Resources Director at Thames Water, said: “The Temporary Use Ban we announced last week is now in place. I’d like to reassure all our customers that we are doing everything we can to look after our water resources and to protect the environment through this continued warm, dry weather.

“Our engineers are working 24/7 to maintain supply to all our customers and we have more teams out in the field fixing leaks, which often increase during long dry spells because of shifts in the ground that move our pipes.

"We all have a role to play in reducing our water use and customers can help us by saving water around the home and in the garden. Turning the taps off while brushing teeth, fixing leaky loos and letting your lawn go dry are simple steps which make a difference. I want to thank all our customers for their understanding and support so far.” Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.