Environment Secretary George Eustice on Saturday called on water companies across the UK to ban hosepipes in the dry August.
This means the UK will be mostly dry and hot this week, according to the Meteorological Office’s forecast.
write in TelegraphEustice said some businesses “have taken appropriate actions to mitigate the effects of this prolonged dry weather” and “strongly urge them.”[s] Others do the same. ”
Southern Water has already imposed a hosepipe ban, which started on Friday, on customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and will use hosepipes to water gardens, clean cars, wash windows, or paddling pools, are prohibited from being used to fill domestic ponds, or ornamental fountains.
The action will take place for customers in South East Water in Kent and Sussex in just over a week.
Wales Water also announced bans for Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire later this month.
Eustice has also asked companies to fix leaks and broken water mains to meet the mandatory target of reducing per capita water use in the UK by 20%.
The goal is “achieved by reducing water leakage by almost a third, or 9 percent, by 2037. [sic] Reducing water use in business and industry, according to the Environment Secretary.
He also said the government will implement mandatory water efficiency labeling “to help reduce personal water consumption to 110 liters per day by 2050 by supporting consumer choice.” He said he would start taking steps “soon” to do so.
A spokesperson for industry body Water UK said: These set specific triggers for activating various levels of response (including hosepipe bans).
A spokesperson said the government has left it up to the water companies to decide when to launch each plan.
“In making these decisions, companies use specific indicators and criteria set out in agreed plans. [the] government,” the spokesperson said.
“Companies are in constant dialogue with Defra [the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs] and regulatory positions, future projections, plans and actions. ”
A spokesperson said the company is “fully prepared to use the limits to protect the environment where necessary” and “to rehydrate and cool rivers to protect fish.” Send cold water pulses from reservoirs,” and “choose water sources in such a way as to try to reduce pressure on low-flow hotspot areas as much as possible.”
PA Media contributed to this report.
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Lily Zhou is a freelance writer covering UK news primarily for The Epoch Times.