London Bangla A Force for the community…
THAMES WATER is the latest water company to put a hosepipe ban in place. The ban starts on Thursday.
The ban means that if Thames Water supplies your drinking water, you cannot use a hosepipe to water your garden; clean your car, windows or outside areas such as patios; or fill paddling pools or swimming pools.
Thames Water supplies water to 16 million in Greater London and some surrounding areas. They have reported that London has been using an extra 100 million litres of water a day during the current hot weather – that’s 7% above normal levels. On the other hand, the Thames Water area has only experienced 40% of the usual average rainfall.
Thames Water Director of Strategic Water Resources, said that the company had enough water for the moment, they needed to reduce “non-essential” use so that they could continue to manage resources and meet core demands. He promised that the company would be keeping a close eye on the situation and would lift the ban as soon as it was safe to do so.
The news is not unexpected. However, Thames Water continues to grapple with large debts – thought to be around £20 billion. There is currently a stalemate over how the company will go forward. It is trying to find new investors to cover the debt, but is also looking for more support from the Government. Without an agreed deal, it is not clear how the company will invest in infrastructure to mends leaks in the system which see around a quarter of the water it processes lost to customers.
It seems that water privatisation was not one of Margaret Thatcher’s best ideas.
●Read more about it:
Water kills: be aware to be safe
Who’s wasting the water?
