Thames Water Rejects Drought Order - For Now
Date: 22-May-06
Country: UK
The board of Britain's largest water company, a unit of German utility RWE, decided water shortages in the region were not yet serious enough to warrant the strict restrictions, but they would review the situation every week.
"Local river flows are being maintained, reservoir storage is increasing and demand is falling," the company said in a statement.
Thames Water, which provides water for 8 million people and sewerage for 13 million, banned the use of hosepipes six weeks ago. A drought order would have banned car-washing, the filling of swimming pools and the watering of parks and sports grounds.
Chief Executive Jeremy Pelczer said there remained a "distinct possibility" the company would need to apply for a drought order in coming weeks.
Last July Thames Water was criticised by regulator Ofwat for losing 915 million litres of water a day through leaks.
Pelczer added: "The 18-month drought means we are continuing to invest record resources to tackle leakage, where much remains to be done, as well as encouraging our customers to use water wisely."
The company says that since November 2004 there has been below-average rainfall in the southeast in every month except one and that last year was the third-driest on record, drier even than the memorable drought year of 1976.
The government's Environment Agency says southeast England is facing the most severe drought of the last 100 years.
Sutton and East Surrey Water, a local utility serving 265,000 properties south of London, was granted a drought order earlier this week.