00:02In London and in other areas served by Thames Water, hose pipes should not be used for watering
00:09gardens, cleaning cars or windows, or filling paddling pools, hot tubs or swimming pools.
00:15The company is the latest in a string of utilities to announce a temporary use ban in recent
00:21weeks.
00:22Officials say 23 million people across England are now under or facing restrictions.
00:27It comes as dry and hot conditions continue for large parts of the country after three
00:34heatwaves and the driest spring on record for England and Wales.
00:38This is causing pressure on water resources to intensify rapidly, with the hot weather pushing
00:44up demand as people consume more to stay cool.
00:48Water gardens sustain crops and protect infrastructure.
00:51Thames Water said demand is 10% above normal in the Thames Valley and the home counties,
00:57and 7% above normal in London, amounting to customers using an extra 100 million litres
01:04of water a day.
01:05The firm said it will keep the situation under review and lift restrictions as soon as it
01:10is safe.
01:11The National Drought Group, which brings together the Met Office, government regulators, water
01:16companies, farmers and conservation experts said its members have increased their work
01:22to respond to the pressure on water resources.
Comments