Four
water companies - Thames Water, Southern
Water, Three Valleys Water and Sutton
and East Surrey Water have lifted their
hosepipe bans.
Environment minister Ian Pearson said: "I have taken a close interest
in the water resource position in the
south east and along with the water
companies have been keeping a close eye
on the recharge of reservoirs and
groundwater supplies during these
crucial wet months.
"Today's move is a common sense
decision by the companies to lift the
hosepipe bans where the local situation
justifies it" he said.
Lifting the ban will give around 13
million customers the chance to wash
their cars and gardens again - perfect
in the current wet weather. But the
minister warned that although water
stocks are improved now, the situation
is precarious.
He hinted that a ban could be
reimposed within three months if
groundwater reserves failed to recover
further."The south east relies on
groundwater reserves for up to 85% of
its supply, and the groundwater position
is by no means as clear at the moment.
It changes far more slowly, and we will
only know by the end of February or
beginning of March whether recharge over
the winter months has been enough to
protect against the risk of the drought
extending into next summer. In those
areas where groundwater is the main
resource it is in all our interests to
continue to take a precautionary
approach till then," he said.
|
