Latest news with #watershortage
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Water companies enforcing hosepipe bans leak over one billion litres of water a day
The four water companies with hosepipe bans currently in effect in the UK are leaking over one billion litres of water a day, new analysis has revealed. Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, Southern Water and South East Water have been criticised for enforcing the bans in the wake of water shortages while leaking massive amounts of water every day. The 1.031 billion litres of water leaked daily in 2024/25 was enough to fill 400 Olympic swimming pools, the figures from the companies' recent annual performance reports show. Bringing attention to the issue, the Liberal Democrats called it a 'scandal,' especially in light of the 'eye-watering' salary and bonuses given to water bosses despite ongoing sector-wide issues. They pointed to the chief executive of Southern Water Lawrence Gosden's pay package rising to £975k in 2024/25, an increase of 35 per cent. Of all the water companies operating in the UK, Thames Water leaked the most in 2024/25, at 569.1 mega litres a day (ML/d). This was down slightly from 570.4 ML/d, but still keeps the London water supplier in the top spot. According to most recent figures, Yorkshire water is leaking 260.2 ML/d, Southern Water 97.7 and South East Water 104.8. Recent analysis by The Independent found that no household has been fined for breaking hosepipe bans over the last five years, calling into question how seriously water companies are taking water-saving measures. Regulator Ofwat says that around a fifth of water running through pipes is still lost to leakage, although this amount has been cut by 41 per cent since 1989, when water companies were privatised. Officially, leakage is water that companies cannot account for; it has entered their systems but not been delivered to homes or businesses used in their operations. It can be driven by factors like the condition of pipes or companies' operational strategies, such as how they manage water pressure. Commenting, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said: 'It is an absolute scandal that families are being told to limit their water use this summer, while these failing water firms are letting over a billion litres a day go to waste through leaky pipes.' A Thames Water spokesperson said: 'Leakage is at its lowest ever level on our network, down 13.2% since 2020, but we know we have more work to do. The extended warm weather also brings increased risks of leaks and bursts due to pipe stress and shifting foundations in the ground.' A Southern Water spokesperson said: 'Last year, we reduced leakage by almost 20% and are seeking the same cut this year, saving 17 million litres more water every day - enough to serve 35,000 customers.' A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: "We understand how frustrating leaks are for our customers and would like to assure them that reducing leakage on our networks is a priority for us. Leakage is the lowest it has ever been in Yorkshire, and it's something that we work on all year round.' A Water UK spokesperson said:'Water companies are doing everything they can to prevent further restrictions. Leakage is currently at the lowest level on record, with reductions every year since 2020, and will be cut by a further 17% by 2030. 'However, after one of the driest springs on record, recent heatwaves and more dry weather forecast, we're asking everyone to use water wisely and cut back where they can.'
Times of Oman
6 days ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Nepali PM Oli makes aerial survey of drought-hit Madhesh Province
Mahottari: Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli flew onboard the Nepal Army helicopter to the drought-hit Madhesh province, taking stock of the situation with a food crisis looming ahead. Oli flew over the Madhesh Province, overseeing the dry patch of field where, by mid-July, paddy saplings used to stand green, with farmers counting on their yield. But this year, despite marching past the mid-monsoon, the Madhesh Province, also known as the part of the Terai region, the breadbasket, is struggling with sweltering heat. Addressing an inaugural event in the drought-stricken area, Oli announced the installation of a 500 deep-boring water system to address the province's pressing water needs. However, local authorities remain sceptical that it will have any impact, as the underground water level has also receded. PM Oli, during his address, mentioned "much of the land appeared dry during his aerial inspection" and pledged "to hold discussions and coordinate efforts with the stakeholders for the earliest resolution to the ongoing water shortage in the Province." Following the dire condition of the water resources, the Madhesh Province was declared a disaster-hit zone for a period of three months, as decided in a cabinet meeting on July 23. The prolonged lack of rainfall in the Province has resulted in a severe shortage of drinking water and inadequate irrigation facilities throughout the Province. The Prime Minister noted that Saptari district, located on the eastern side of the Madhesh Province and situated near the Saptakoshi River, has experienced relatively fewer problems due to its proximity to the river. Oli added that the government is actively working to address the water crisis in the remaining seven districts in the Province. The Head of the Government, in the context of Madhes Province, which has already been declared a disaster-hit zone, vowed to introduce a special program to support those directly affected by water scarcity, including farmers. Madhesh province, which is the breadbasket of the Himalayan Nation, still relies on rainwater for cultivation. Central bank- the Nepal Rastra Bank's 2024 report on 'Economic Status of Madhesh Province' showed an increase in the province's gross domestic product, which will be due to an increase in its agricultural production. NRB had projected Madhesh Province's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to stand at NRS 707 billion. Madhesh's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) shared 13.13 per cent of the country's GDP out of NRs 5.381 trillion. In Madhesh Province, farm products share 35.2 per cent of the GDP. Food crops, vegetables, fruits and spices are among the main products of this province. However, the dry and arid monsoon this year has increased worries for the farmers, who are now starting to worry about their coming days. Since the start of the monsoon this year, around two dozen people have already lost their lives to landslides and flooding. Several others have been injured and are missing in monsoon-related disasters. Properties and infrastructure worth billions of rupees have been either washed away by floods or buried in landslides. Locals in the mountainous region say that the weather has become so erratic that even light rainfall triggers floods. Scores of glacial and supraglacial lakes could burst at any time due to the melting of ice accelerated by global warming. At least eleven people were killed, and 17 others are still missing, in the Bhotekoshi flood triggered by a previously unnoticed supraglacial lake formed in Tibet above Rasuwagadhi. Nepal has been experiencing changes in temperature and precipitation at a rate faster than the global average, according to studies. Evidence indicates that the maximum temperature in Nepal is rising at a greater rate (0.05 degrees Celsius per year) than the minimum temperature (0.03 degrees Celsius per year).
BBC News
23-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
No timeframe for Thames Water hosepipe ban to end, says company
A water company has said it can't say when a hosepipe ban will come to an end because it is "generally waiting for rain".Thames Water announced a ban last week which has come into effect for customers with postcodes beginning with OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8 and follows bans from Yorkshire Water, Southern Water and South East Water and affects almost 1.1 million people in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Tucker, demand reduction manager at Thames Water, said he appreciates how frustrating it is when water use is restricted and there are many leaks at the same time, but said the company is "doing everything they can to deal with it". The unusual dry spell and heatwaves over the past few months triggered the ban and some residents and businesses in Berkshire have told the BBC it is "restrictive and difficult". Professional gardener Janet Wood said: "It is difficult because sometimes we only go to our customers' gardens once a week, sometime fortnightly."If they aren't watering then that makes it very difficult for us, because everything is dying by the time we visit again."It can be very depressing to see."Ms Wood explained that if gardeners are "lucky" then "our customers have invested in a drip system" - which are very small hoses that drip water gradually into the flower said: "These are very economical, effective and not part of the hosepipe ban."Otherwise, we have to hope our customers are using a watering can and are giving every plant a good dose of water, at least twice a week.""The situation is very frustrating," she added."We need to be looking at drought-proof plants that can withstand longer periods without water and finding ways to be economical with water because it is something we are going to have to deal with more in the future." Kevin Browne, vice-chairman and honorary treasurer of Henley-on-Thames Bowling Club, said the ban means the club is "restricted" even though they are a sports added that Thames Water has been "very ambiguous" with its explained that the club has a "delightful green lawn" which looks healthy because there has been "plenty of rain in the last few days"."If we have the weather we have had over the last three months then it will give us lots of problems and could be restrictive," he added."We have a number of areas in the lawn where it goes really brown, particularly where our sprinklers don't cover the lawn properly, but we can water those patches with the watering can."He said the club has been told by Thames Water that "if things really get dire then they would be sympathetic to us using our sprinklers".And Mr Browne is hopeful the club won't be badly impacted. "With the weather the way it is now we are not going to be affected in any major way whatsoever," he said. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
22-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Hosepipe bans: How are they enforced?
Millions of people in England are facing temporary hosepipe bans this summer, following the country's driest start to the year since bans - also known as Temporary Use Bans - are introduced by water companies during periods of high demand or low supply. Four companies have so far issued bans - Southern Water, Yorkshire Water, Thames Water and South East breaking the rules could be fined up to £1,000 - but how are the rules enforced? Caroline Loup, a garden landscaper who lives in Overton, Hampshire, where Southern Water's hosepipe ban has just begun, said people should be encouraged "to be nosy neighbours" to make sure the rules were being followed - but she wouldn't report someone."This ban isn't going to work unless everybody does their part," she said. "I'd probably go up to them and say, 'Have you heard about the ban?' I'd rather be up front than snoop on a neighbour."Ms Loup said action had to be taken by the water companies, including fining people who had broken the rules to deter others. "There needs to be some teeth behind the action." On the Isle of Wight, also supplied by Southern Water, gardener Tim Parry said he had received calls from "very emotional" clients who were worried about their gardens and the "intimidating" prospect of a said one client of his, a 90-year-old lady, asked him: "Do I have to walk a watering can up my garden? I don't think I can do that.""They don't want their neighbour looking out a window and thinking, 'She's out there with a hose'."He said he would be helping customers follow the rules because "our gardens aren't as important as the environment". Fines are a 'last resort' The BBC asked the four water companies whether they had ever issued fines for Yorkshire Water directly answered this, saying it had never issued a single fine and would prefer not to do so, instead asking customers to "respect" the company said it had received at least 100 reports of people who had continued to use hosepipes since the ban came into effect for more than five million households on 11 July. "If we are told repeatedly about someone breaking the restrictions, the first thing we do is remind them of their obligations - that is usually enough," a spokesperson said."However, if they continue to use a hosepipe, we may escalate our enforcement accordingly."The other three suppliers did not say if they had ever issued fines, but they all said enforcement would be the very final Water will first write to a customer who has been reported for using their hosepipe to remind them of the ban. The company said it might take enforcement action for "repeated or serious breaches". On its website, South East Water says prosecution is "very much a last resort" and "something no company wants to have to do".Police have told people not to contact them to report breaches of the ban, and instead to report them to their water company directly. But Thames Water has said customers do not need to report breaches at all, adding that it "may get in touch with customers who repeatedly don't follow the rules... just to make sure they're aware of the restrictions and how to use water responsibly".Trade body Water UK said it was not aware of anyone having ever been fined for using a hosepipe, though it did not hold data. But some people are exempt from the ban - those who are registered disabled, blue badge holders, and those who have paid a business to sow a lawn in the last 28 Meredith is a blue badge holder who lives in Oxford, where Thames Water's ban has now has mobility issues that restrict him from using a watering can - which is allowed during the ban - rather than a hosepipe to water his said the onus should not be on blue badge holders to make sure neighbours are aware they are allowed to continue using hosepipes if they decide to."I would not be uncomfortable using a hosepipe during a hosepipe ban," he said, adding that it would depend on what the weather was like or whether someone was around to help. Are warnings enough? Yorkshire Water said since the ban came into effect its customers' water usage dropped by about 26m gallons (100m litres) in just two days - without issuing a single fine and despite more than 100 reports of people flouting the rules. Dr Sianne Gordon-Wilson, who is currently looking into which factors can convince people to save water, said "peer influence" was the biggest driver."It's all about the friends and the social network," the assistant professor in marketing at Queen Mary University of London told the BBC."If they're saying it's something that you can do, it's not too much work, or it can be quite easy... then that is the most influential factor." Nicci Russell, chief executive of water-conservation charity Waterwise, said more had to be done to make the public aware of water scarcity. "We are running out of water right across the UK," she said. "There is nothing you can think of from the minute you wake up until the minute you go to bed that doesn't need water."She added that while her organisation did not advise people to report their neighbours, hosepipe bans did encourage the public to think about how they could save water. Additional reporting by Alys Davies and Michael Sheils McNamee
BBC News
22-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Thames Water hosepipe ban begins for 1.1m customers
A hosepipe ban for almost 1.1 million people in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire has come into Water announced the restriction last week due to a lack of rain and increasing demand, which it said had stretched bans the use of a hosepipe for activities such as watering the garden, washing the car or filling a paddling pool. People found to be using a hosepipe during a ban can be fined up to £1, temporary restrictions, which came into effect at midnight, cover areas with postcodes beginning with OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8 and RG9. It follows bans from Yorkshire Water, Southern Water and South East postcode areas affected are those which are supplied water from Farmoor Reservoir near Oxford which is fed by the River the restrictions last week, Nevil Muncaster, Thames Water's strategic water resources director said: "This has been a challenging spring and summer with big spikes in customer demand during hot dry days and very little rainfall to replenish local supplies in the Thames Valley."Every drop of water we use comes from the environment and we have to balance protecting this while taking out the water needed to top-up reservoir levels."That is why we have had to make to the difficult decision to implement a hosepipe ban to make sure there's enough water for customers' essential needs and to protect rivers."Customers on the company's Priority Services Register with medical or mobility needs, Blue Badge holders and those on the WaterSure tariff, are excluded from the ban. The Temporary Use Ban lays out details as to when water customers are allowed to use a hosepipe. Prof Liz Stephens, Professor of Climate Risks and Resilience, University of Reading, said: "The flow in the River Thames is currently very low, and this is set to continue with low groundwater levels upstream and no significant rainfall in sight.""This hosepipe ban is coming into place a whole month earlier in the year than the most recent hosepipe ban in 2022, and as a result the impact on individuals may be more profound, especially if we experience further heat waves during the rest of the summer." The GMB union previously criticised the officer Gary Carter said union members working for the utility company had "their hands tied" by "crumbling infrastructure and non-existent investment"."For Thames Water to now impose a hosepipe [ban], while bills rocket, is disgraceful," he Water, which also supplies parts of Wiltshire said there was "still no need" for a hosepipe ban in its areas as it draws water from groundwater hosepipe bans coincide with the release of a long-anticipated report calling for for big changes to the water industry in England and Wales and the government's announcement that Ofwat, the economic regulator would be scrapped.
