“Be prepared!”.
That was the message from South East MEP Nirj Deva following news that Thames
Water has decided, for the moment, not to impose a Drought Order on the Thames
Valley. A Drought Order has been imposed in London, Northern Surrey and parts of
Kent.
Despite the heavy rainfall during May, the last eighteen months has seen an
unprecedented low level of rainfall making a Draft Order possible.
In addition to the current hosepipe ban, the Drought Order will cover:
-
Watering public and privately owned gardens, parks and sports
grounds (natural and artificial surfaces) using a hosepipe,
sprinkler or similar apparatus
-
Filling or topping up private swimming pools (except those used
for medical treatment or where filling is needed during their
construction)
-
Filling or topping up ornamental ponds (not containing fish) or
the operation of ornamental fountains
-
Operation of commercial car washes
-
Washing of road vehicles, boats, railway rolling stock or aircraft
other than for safety or hygiene purposes
-
Cleaning the exterior of buildings, other than windows
-
Cleaning of windows using a hosepipe, sprinkler or similar
apparatus
-
Cleaning of industrial premises or plants other than for safety
and hygiene reasons
-
Operation of automatic cistern flushes (like urinals) when a
building is largely or totally unoccupied (i.e. at night)
Commenting on the
possible Drought Order, Nirj Deva said:
“I appreciate the efforts that are being made by Thames Water to
avoid imposing a Drought Order on the people of the Thames Valley.
It’s now time to do our bit.
“During this difficult period it is everyone’s responsibility to do
the most they can to conserve water supplies. By fitting a
Save-a-flush in your toilet cistern, for example, you could save up
to 1 litre per flush. Visit www.thameswater.co.uk/waterwise to order
yours for free.
“For updates, please visit Thames Water’s website at
www.thames-water.com.”
ENDS
The area covered
by the ban includes all London Boroughs, except Hillingdon, Harrow,
Barking & Dagenham and Havering. The area also covers the Boroughs
or Districts of Broxbourne, Dartford, East Herts, Elmbridge, Epping
Forest, Epsom & Ewell, Sevenoaks and Spelthorne.
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