Latest news with #TimMcMahon
Metro
2 days ago
- Business
- Metro
Map shows where new hosepipe ban will come into force for millions today
Millions more people are now affected by hosepipe bans after restrictions ordered by South East Water came into force on Friday. Customers in Sussex in Kent can no longer use a hosepipe for activities including watering plants, washing their car, or filling a paddling pool. They join customers of Yorkshire Water, which introduced a ban a week ago. Southern Water has ordered a hosepipe ban to begin at 9am on Monday across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. On Tuesday, a ban will also come into force in a large area covered by Thames Water. You can check our interactive map to see which areas face bans and the date of enforcement. Southern Water's managing director, Tim McMahon, said: 'Only by working together can we make sure there's enough water to go around for customers and the environment.' A spokesperson for Southern Water added: 'The Environment Agency has declared the Solent and South Downs in 'prolonged dry weather'. 'We need to work together to protect precious chalk streams and keep taps flowing.' The firm said it will remove the hosepipe ban 'as soon as we can', but this can only happen once its reservoirs, rivers and underground aquifers have refilled enough to meet demand. Customers in the affected areas could face a £1,000 fine if they're caught using their hosepipe unnecessarily – but Southern Water said they will 'always' remind people about restrictions before taking any action. But hosepipe bans bring to light the number of leaks in Britain's fragile water infrastructure, which cost customers £396million every year. Many customers feel angry that they are asked to stop watering their garden or washing their car, when 19% of treated water is lost to leaks before it even comes out of the tap. Southern Water has already placed a disclaimer on its website telling customers they will not receive a discount on their bills during the hosepipe ban period, saying the restrictions are in place to 'help to protect local rivers and keep taps flowing this summer'. The firm is one of several ordered last year to repay a total of £157million to customers after missing key targets on reducing pollution, leaks and supply interruptions. More than 3billion litres of water were wasted every day in England and Wales between 2020 and 2023 due to leaky pipes, amounting to 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools a day. But Mr McMahon says his team is 'working 24/7' to find and fix leaks. He added: 'We're using a wide range of innovative solutions like drones, sensors and even sniffer dogs, and are ensuring that our pipes, reservoirs and water supply works are working as efficiently as possible – but sadly this is not enough.' Thames Water announced a hosepipe ban on Monday while bans were announced by South West Water and Yorkshire Water earlier this week. Millions more people across England will soon face hosepipe bans that come into force later this week or early next week. PO14/30/31/32/33/34/35/36/37/38/39/40/41 SO14/16/18/19/21/22/24/31/40/43/45/50/51/40/53 RG20/28/26/19/28 SP10/11/5 Reservoirs are drying up thanks to a long period of dry and hot weather, with the UK experiencing three heatwaves practically back-to-back after the hottest June on record. Rain is forecast across the UK later this week, but this will only do so much to refill our reservoirs. In Yorkshire, for example, reservoirs are only 53.8% full, far lower than the 80.9% average for this time of year. More Trending Droughts have been declared so far in Cumbria and Lancashire, Yorkshire, the East and West Midlands, and Greater Manchester, Chester and Merseyside. Plus the Environment Agency says much of the rest of England is experiencing 'prolonged dry weather', with only East Anglia, London, Kent and Cornwall experiencing normal rainfall levels recently. Droughts are declared based on reservoir levels, river flows, and how dry the soil is – and back in May the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology warned many of the UK's rivers had hit exceptionally low levels. This has an impact on agriculture, as farmers have had to start watering their crops earlier rather than being able to rely on rainfall. Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. MORE: The secret to Hailey Bieber's glowing skin isn't Rhode but this £7 COSRX sheet mask MORE: Thunderstorms, hail and torrential rain set to hit UK with temperatures soaring to 30C MORE: Readers demand consequences for politicians backtracking on promises and policies
The Sun
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Sun
Over 2.8million Brits can sidestep the hosepipe ban and may not even know it – check all the exceptions
MILLIONS of Brits can sidestep the many hosepipe bands springing up around the country – but may not know it. As much of England faces a blanket ban on using hosepipes to counter water shortages, there are a group of people who will avoid the penalty. 1 Southern Water is the latest company to announce a hosepipe ban – affecting almost one million customers – due to prolonged dry weather. The move will come into force for residents across much of Hampshire and all of the Isle of Wight from 9am on Monday, July 21. It will ban the use of a hosepipe for activities such as watering the garden, washing the car or filling a paddling pool. Managing director Tim McMahon apologised to customers and said: "Only by working together can we make sure there's enough water to go around for customers and the environment." Yorkshire Water, Thames Water and South East Water are also bringing in, or have brought in bans. Anyone who breaches the ban without permission from the water company could be fined up to £1,000. But anyone who holds a Blue Badge, issued by the government, can carry on using the watering method. More than 2.8million people currently have the badges, which can be displayed in vehicles. These are issued to people with disabilities or health conditions to allow them to park closer to their destination. They cost up to £10 in England, £20 in Scotland and are free in Wales. They usually last up to three years. Under regulations governing water companies and hosepipe ban enforcement, people who are registered disabled, Blue Badge holders or on a water companies' priority services register, are exempt from the ban. Rainfall across England was 20% less than the long-term average for June, which was also the hottest on record for the country, with two heatwaves driving unusually high demand for water, the Environment Agency has said. More heatwave conditions have followed in July, with the Met Office warning weather extremes such as heat have become the "norm" for the UK as a result of climate change driven by human activities such as burning fossil fuels. Drought was declared in East and West Midlands on Tuesday, July 15 with the region joining swathes of northern England in drought status. Yorkshire Water became the first major water company to bring in a hosepipe ban which came into effect on Friday, July 11. South East Water has announced a hosepipe ban in Kent and Sussex from July 18, and Thames Water is bringing in a ban from Tuesday, July 22 for customers in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and some parts of Berkshire. Southern Water said restrictions would come in for households in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from July 21. How do you qualify for a Blue Badge? You automatically qualify for a Blue Badge if you are aged 3 or over and at least one of the following applies: You receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA). You receive a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) because you can't walk more than 50 metres (a score of 8 points or more under the 'moving around' activity of the mobility component). You are registered blind (severely sight impaired). You receive a War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement. You have received a lump sum benefit within tariff levels 1 to 8 of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation) Scheme and have been certified as having a permanent and substantial disability that causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking. You receive the mobility component of PIP and have obtained 10 points specifically for descriptor E under the 'planning and following journeys' activity, on the grounds that you are unable to undertake any journey because it would cause you overwhelming psychological distress. If you have any score other than 10 points under descriptor E, in the 'planning and following journeys' activity of PIP you may still be eligible for a Blue Badge, but you do not automatically qualify. This includes if you have a higher score of 12. You will have to provide evidence to demonstrate your eligibility which will be assessed as part of your application. Other conditions and benefits also make a person eligible, including if you cannot walk at all or you cannot walk without help from someone else. Click here to find out more. SOURCE: UK Government.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Climate
- Scottish Sun
Over 2.8million Brits can sidestep the hosepipe ban and may not even know it – check all the exceptions
Plus, all the regions where bans are in place WASH ON EARTH? Over 2.8million Brits can sidestep the hosepipe ban and may not even know it – check all the exceptions Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MILLIONS of Brits can sidestep the many hosepipe bands springing up around the country – but may not know it. As much of England faces a blanket ban on using hosepipes to counter water shortages, there are a group of people who will avoid the penalty. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Southern Water recently joined other companies in issuing a hosepipe ban Credit: Getty Southern Water is the latest company to announce a hosepipe ban – affecting almost one million customers – due to prolonged dry weather. The move will come into force for residents across much of Hampshire and all of the Isle of Wight from 9am on Monday, July 21. It will ban the use of a hosepipe for activities such as watering the garden, washing the car or filling a paddling pool. Managing director Tim McMahon apologised to customers and said: "Only by working together can we make sure there's enough water to go around for customers and the environment." Yorkshire Water, Thames Water and South East Water are also bringing in, or have brought in bans. Anyone who breaches the ban without permission from the water company could be fined up to £1,000. But anyone who holds a Blue Badge, issued by the government, can carry on using the watering method. More than 2.8million people currently have the badges, which can be displayed in vehicles. These are issued to people with disabilities or health conditions to allow them to park closer to their destination. They cost up to £10 in England, £20 in Scotland and are free in Wales. They usually last up to three years. Under regulations governing water companies and hosepipe ban enforcement, people who are registered disabled, Blue Badge holders or on a water companies' priority services register, are exempt from the ban. UK weather: Met Office issues yellow rain warning with thunderstorms on the way as heatwave ends Rainfall across England was 20% less than the long-term average for June, which was also the hottest on record for the country, with two heatwaves driving unusually high demand for water, the Environment Agency has said. More heatwave conditions have followed in July, with the Met Office warning weather extremes such as heat have become the "norm" for the UK as a result of climate change driven by human activities such as burning fossil fuels. Drought was declared in East and West Midlands on Tuesday, July 15 with the region joining swathes of northern England in drought status. Yorkshire Water became the first major water company to bring in a hosepipe ban which came into effect on Friday, July 11. South East Water has announced a hosepipe ban in Kent and Sussex from July 18, and Thames Water is bringing in a ban from Tuesday, July 22 for customers in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and some parts of Berkshire. Southern Water said restrictions would come in for households in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from July 21.
North Wales Chronicle
3 days ago
- Climate
- North Wales Chronicle
Southern Water becomes latest company to bring in hosepipe ban amid dry weather
The company said restrictions on hosepipes for activities such as watering gardens, filling paddling pools or washing cars would come in for households in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from Monday. The move aims to protect the Test and Itchen chalk streams, which supply most of the area's water, but are at 'critically low levels', down 24% on normal flows for the time of year, Southern Water said. It is the latest announcement by water companies bringing in hosepipe bans in response to the driest start to the year since 1976 for England. Rainfall across England was 20% less than the long-term average for June, which was also the hottest on record for the country, with two heatwaves driving unusually high demand for water, the Environment Agency has said. More heatwave conditions have followed in July, with the Met Office warning weather extremes such as heat have become the 'norm' for the UK as a result of climate change driven by human activities such as burning fossil fuels. Drought was declared in East and West Midlands on Tuesday, with the region joining swathes of northern England in drought status. Yorkshire Water became the first major water company to bring in a hosepipe ban which came into effect last Friday. South East Water has announced a hosepipe ban in Kent and Sussex from Friday, and Thames Water is bringing in a ban from next Tuesday for customers in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and some parts of Berkshire. Southern Water's water managing director Tim McMahon said: 'We're sorry we're taking this step, but as other water companies have already done, we have to respond to the widespread and prolonged dry weather affecting our region. 'In our case, this means a hosepipe ban for our customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to protect the health of our amazing chalk streams, which as one of the rarest habitats on earth has been compared to the Amazon Rainforest. 'We must act now to support the wildlife that live there, including Atlantic salmon and southern damselfly.' He said the company has been working '24/7' to find and fix leaks, and ensuring the network is working as efficiently as possible, but it is 'not enough', and he urged customers to help to reduce use by adhering to the ban. Meanwhile Anglian Water, which supplies drinking water to 4.3 million customers across the East of England – the driest part of the country – said recent rain has prevented the need for a hosepipe ban, but one could still be required this summer. Recent rain has helped river and reservoir levels and more is predicted for the coming weeks, but with an 'exceptionally dry' few months and uncertainty over the forecast, a hosepipe ban may yet be needed, the utility said. The warning comes after East Anglia was among the regions moved into prolonged dry weather status, at the same time drought was declared in the East and West Midlands. Anglian Water's director of water services, Ian Rule, said: 'The East of England is the driest part of the country so we're used to seeing a lack of rainfall in our region and we plan accordingly. 'Our focus on leakage, and the investment we've put in place to give us resilience in the face of climate change, has helped to delay the need for restrictions, but the last few months have been exceptionally dry, even by our standards. 'River levels had been looking very low following the historically dry spring, but they have responded better than expected to recent rainfall. 'There is also some rain in the forecast over the coming weeks which, if it materialises, could provide some welcome respite for the region's rivers and reservoirs. 'However, the forecast is far from certain, so we're closely monitoring the situation and if the exceptionally dry weather does continue, then restrictions might still be needed this summer.' He also said the dry ground means water pipes are at greater risk of shifting and breaking, and the company is facing an increase in issues being reported, with teams working round the clock to fix burst and leaking pipes. The company does not want to put restrictions in place unnecessarily, he added, but protecting the environment and the region's 'vital' agricultural sector means leaving as much water in the environment as possible.
Rhyl Journal
3 days ago
- Climate
- Rhyl Journal
Southern Water becomes latest company to bring in hosepipe ban amid dry weather
The company said restrictions on hosepipes for activities such as watering gardens, filling paddling pools or washing cars would come in for households in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from Monday. The move aims to protect the Test and Itchen chalk streams, which supply most of the area's water, but are at 'critically low levels', down 24% on normal flows for the time of year, Southern Water said. It is the latest announcement by water companies bringing in hosepipe bans in response to the driest start to the year since 1976 for England. Rainfall across England was 20% less than the long-term average for June, which was also the hottest on record for the country, with two heatwaves driving unusually high demand for water, the Environment Agency has said. More heatwave conditions have followed in July, with the Met Office warning weather extremes such as heat have become the 'norm' for the UK as a result of climate change driven by human activities such as burning fossil fuels. Drought was declared in East and West Midlands on Tuesday, with the region joining swathes of northern England in drought status. Yorkshire Water became the first major water company to bring in a hosepipe ban which came into effect last Friday. South East Water has announced a hosepipe ban in Kent and Sussex from Friday, and Thames Water is bringing in a ban from next Tuesday for customers in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and some parts of Berkshire. Southern Water's water managing director Tim McMahon said: 'We're sorry we're taking this step, but as other water companies have already done, we have to respond to the widespread and prolonged dry weather affecting our region. 'In our case, this means a hosepipe ban for our customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to protect the health of our amazing chalk streams, which as one of the rarest habitats on earth has been compared to the Amazon Rainforest. 'We must act now to support the wildlife that live there, including Atlantic salmon and southern damselfly.' He said the company has been working '24/7' to find and fix leaks, and ensuring the network is working as efficiently as possible, but it is 'not enough', and he urged customers to help to reduce use by adhering to the ban. Meanwhile Anglian Water, which supplies drinking water to 4.3 million customers across the East of England – the driest part of the country – said recent rain has prevented the need for a hosepipe ban, but one could still be required this summer. Recent rain has helped river and reservoir levels and more is predicted for the coming weeks, but with an 'exceptionally dry' few months and uncertainty over the forecast, a hosepipe ban may yet be needed, the utility said. The warning comes after East Anglia was among the regions moved into prolonged dry weather status, at the same time drought was declared in the East and West Midlands. Anglian Water's director of water services, Ian Rule, said: 'The East of England is the driest part of the country so we're used to seeing a lack of rainfall in our region and we plan accordingly. 'Our focus on leakage, and the investment we've put in place to give us resilience in the face of climate change, has helped to delay the need for restrictions, but the last few months have been exceptionally dry, even by our standards. 'River levels had been looking very low following the historically dry spring, but they have responded better than expected to recent rainfall. 'There is also some rain in the forecast over the coming weeks which, if it materialises, could provide some welcome respite for the region's rivers and reservoirs. 'However, the forecast is far from certain, so we're closely monitoring the situation and if the exceptionally dry weather does continue, then restrictions might still be needed this summer.' He also said the dry ground means water pipes are at greater risk of shifting and breaking, and the company is facing an increase in issues being reported, with teams working round the clock to fix burst and leaking pipes. The company does not want to put restrictions in place unnecessarily, he added, but protecting the environment and the region's 'vital' agricultural sector means leaving as much water in the environment as possible.
