Hosepipe ban plans unveiled (From The Argus)

Hosepipe ban plans unveiled

8:10pm Friday 10th February 2012 in News By Emily Walker, Chief Reporter

Plants could go thirsty and cars unwashed across Sussex.

Utility firms Southern Water and South East Water are consulting Sussex residents on their latest drought plans.

They could see customers banned from using hosepipes to water their gardens or wash their cars.

South East Water said that several months of below-average rainfall meant that Ardingly reservoir was still at a seriously low level.

Despite the last week’s snowfall the reservoir is still less than half full and the company is planning to deal with continued drought conditions.

If there is not enough rain to replenish the Ardingly and Arlington reservoirs, ground water levels and underground aquifers then customers’ usage could be restricted.

Up to 100% of Southern Water’s supply for Brighton and Worthing comes from groundwater.

But if levels drop too low in any of its four individual water resource zones (WRZs) in Sussex – which cover Brighton, Worthing, the north of the county and Hastings – emergency measures to conserve supplies will be brought into effect.

A Southern Water spokesman said: “It is rainfall during autumn and winter that is critical to the availability of water resources in the region.

“It is only during this period that rainfall can infiltrate through the soil to recharge groundwater reserves, restore river base flow for the following year and replenish surface water storage.

“Normally, chalk groundwater sources tend to be fairly resilient to single dry winters, due to storage capacity within the chalk.

"However, they become more at risk with progressive dry winters, and also take longer to recover from the longer drought events.”

They added that if a hosepipe ban was being sought, customers would legally have to be given plenty of time to register any concerns and would have seven days’ notice of any ban.

South East Water was granted permission from Defra before Christmas to implement a drought order allowing them to drain more water from the River Ouse to replenish the levels at Ardingly reservoir.

To see South East Water’s plan visit www.southeastwater.co.uk/droughtplan. Comments should be sent to Defra before April 4

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