Essex hosepipe ban remains in place amid Welsh ban lifted

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has removed its Temporary Use Ban affecting about 33,000 properties across mid and south Ceredigion, parts of north Pembrokeshire and north Carmarthenshire.

The company said the restrictions were lifted after treated water storage levels improved across the affected supply zone. There are now no hosepipe restrictions anywhere in Welsh Water’s operating area.

Essex remains under a hosepipe ban.

Welsh Water introduced its ban as an emergency measure after a prolonged period of exceptionally high demand for drinking water. The pressure came during a summer the Met Office has said was the hottest on record.

Customers, businesses and visitors were thanked for reducing non-essential water use. Their efforts helped local service reservoirs recover and allowed the company to maintain supplies while its treatment works operated at maximum capacity.

Despite heavy rainfall across most of Essex, restrictions remain in place as water companies continue to deal with the impact of prolonged dry weather and increased demand during the summer months.

The measures prohibit the use of hosepipes for a range of non-essential activities, including watering gardens, washing private vehicles and filling paddling pools, hot tubs and swimming pools. Residents can still use watering cans and buckets instead.

Anglian Water, who introduced a ban in July, said the restrictions were necessary following months of exceptionally dry conditions, with reservoirs, rivers and groundwater supplies all coming under pressure. The company has warned that some watercourses are at exceptionally low levels and that water resources remain below what would usually be expected for the time of year.

Meanwhile, customers supplied by Essex & Suffolk Water were also affected by hosepipe restrictions after the company introduced a Temporary Use Ban across its supply area. The water provider said the move followed months of dry weather, low rainfall and increased water use, with reservoir levels falling below average.

Despite some recent rain across Essex, water companies have stressed that a few days of wet weather are not enough to reverse the effects of a prolonged dry spell. Anglian Water said water resources require sustained rainfall over a much longer period, particularly during the autumn and winter, before supplies can fully recover.

Both companies have said restrictions will remain in place until water resources return to more normal levels. Anglian Water has indicated the ban is likely to continue throughout the summer, while continuing to monitor conditions and review the need for the measures.