FOUR water companies have announced hosepipe bans across the UK, as another heatwave is set to scorch the country this week.

Thames Water is the latest to announce that it expects to implement a temporary usage ban (TUB) in the coming weeks due to the dry weather.

Here are each water company’s current guidelines concerning hosepipe bans and water usage across Somerset.

The list also shows water leakage statistics.

  • South West Water
    Area: Devon, Cornwall, parts of Dorset and Somerset
    Customers: 1.7 million Leakage per property per day in 2020-2021: 118 litres South West water customers are at risk of “formal restrictions” being introduced over the coming weeks.
    The company announced on August 3 that it may have to make the “difficult decision” to introduce restrictions, “if the exceptional levels of demand and sustained dry weather continues”.
     
  • Southern Water
    Area: The south-west of England, including Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, most of Wiltshire and parts of Gloucestershire and Hampshire.
    Customers: 2.5 million Leakage per property per day in 2020-2021: 87 litres.
    A hosepipe ban has been in place for customers in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight since August 5.
    The company has applied for a Drought Permit on the River Test from the Environment Agency to allow them to continue to “take water if levels continue to drop”.
     
  • Wessex Water
    Area: the South West including Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and parts of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Hampshire
    Customers: 2.8 million Leakage per property per day in 2020-2021: 111 litres.
    No hosepipe bans are planned by Wessex Water, but the company does warn that reservoir and groundwater levels are low and urges customers to “use water responsibly”.
     
  • Bristol Water
    Area: Bristol city, northeast Somerset and south Gloucestershire Customers:
    More than 500,000 Leakage per property per day in 2020-2021: 69 litres At the end of July, the company said: “We will continue to monitor the situation, but with our current water resource outlook, we do not foresee any issues in supply to customers.”

     
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Written by Genevieve Holl-Allen, PA