Hose and sprinkler ban in southern England

Eight million people are to be banned from using hoses and sprinklers in southern England in an attempt to prevent water being cut off to homes later this year.

Britain's biggest water company, Thames Water, yesterday announced an indefinite hosepipe ban from next month in response to one of the worst droughts in 100 years.

From April 3 anyone who breaks the ban by using a hose to wash their cars or water their garden will risk a £1,000 fine.

Thames Water said it had been forced to introduce the ban - its first for 15 years - because of two consecutive winters of below-average rainfall in the South-east.

Between November 2004 and January 2006 the region was the driest for more than 80 years and its reservoirs are only half full.

Jeremy Pelczer, chief executive of Thames Water, said: "The drought across the South East has now gone on for so long that we have to be prudent and introduce measures that will make best use of limited supplies and help protect the environment."Thames Water said the move would "lessen the likelihood of more stringent restrictions later", but warned that much depended on future rainfall.

The Environment Agency welcomed the ban but said that more drastic measures may be needed.

Some areas of Kent and Sussex could even see standpipes in the streets for the first time since 1976, or supplies cut at certain times of day.

Ministers this month allowed Folkestone and Dover Water extraordinary powers to install compulsory meters in homes.

The South-east has been harder-hit by the drought than the rest of Britain because of its high population, lack of reservoirs and geological factors, including heavy reliance on groundwater supplies.

The Consumer Council for Water said the restrictions were a "sensible precaution" but warned Thames Water should reduce leaks in its pipes.

Thames, owned by the German RWE Group, is currently spending £1 billion replacing Victorian pipes, which are estimated to leak around a third of its water.

"While these hosepipe bans are the result of the current drought and not caused by leakage, the company has a poor track record on containing leaks on its network, regularly missing regulatory targets over the last four years," said Dame Yve Buckland, chairwoman of the Consumer Council for Water.

"The company needs to take consumers with it on water saving, and it needs to improve its current performance if consumers are going to buy into its guidance on conserving supplies."An advertising campaign encouraging the public to help conserve water is being planned with the Greater London Authority.

Simple tips include not washing cars, not leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth, and having showers rather than baths.

Darren Johnson, chair of the London Assembly's environment committee, said: "We're no longer facing a crisis - it's arrived."

- INDEPENDENT