With more hot weather forecast for the next 10 days, we’re asking all customers across Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey to please pause all hose use and only use water for essential purposes only: drinking, cooking and hygiene.
The situation
Due to the consistently warm weather, demand for water is staying exceptionally high. This means treated drinking water supplies are under serious stress, so we’ve moved your area to red status.
While there are no formal restrictions in place, to protect your local water supplies and make sure there is enough for everyone's daily needs, it’s really important that we all work together. Every drop saved helps to prevent temporary hosepipe restrictions.
Untreated (raw) water in reservoirs and groundwater sources were healthy going into spring and early summer following the higher than average winter rainfall. However, since March we’ve received just over half the expected rainfall across all areas we supply. This means these levels are starting to fall too.
Why we need your help
On 5 July, the total amount of water we treated and put into the network was 655 million litres - that’s 67 million more than the average for July - and it’ll likely be more with hotter weather forecast for the next 10 days.
When demand stays this high day after day, we really struggle to keep local drinking water storage tanks full. Without your help, people living at the far end of our network or on higher ground are at real risk of their taps running dry.
We want to be totally transparent about what we’re doing behind the scenes. Right now, our teams are:
Running all available Water Treatment Works 24/7
Working around the clock with extra teams to fix bursts and leaks
Moving water around the network to where it’s needed most
Bringing in extra water using tankers
Keeping drinking water storage tanks as full as possible
Managing water pressure across the network
We know we need to build a stronger network to cope with our changing climate and hotter summers, and we are absolutely committed to doing that. But building this infrastructure takes time and it isn't all ready just yet.
That’s why, for now, we’re asking for your help in using water for essential purposes only: drinking, cooking and hygiene. This will have a huge, immediate impact on helping to keep the taps flowing for you, your neighbours and the wider community.
How you can help prevent formal hosepipe restrictions
Simple swaps can make a huge difference to help keep the taps flowing for everyone and prevent further measures. Please:
Pause all hose use (this is the best way to help us avoid formal restrictions)
Only use water for essential purposes (drinking, cooking and hygiene)
Swap the sprinkler for water pistols to let the kids cool down
Hold off on refilling paddling pools or hot tubs
Put the jet washer away for now
This is temporary, just while we get through this latest heatwave.
More information on your current water status
Thank you for your cooperation
We want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has been using water wisely. We truly appreciate your ongoing efforts.
We are so sorry for the disruption this causes, and we are incredibly grateful for your help in safeguarding Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey’s water supply.
