HIGH DEMAND, LOW SUPPLY
Hosepipe bans – formally called temporary use bans – are used by water companies to manage supplies at times of high demand and lower supply.
They limit non-essential usage such as watering gardens, filling paddling pools or washing cars with hosepipes.
Anyone found flouting the ban can face a fine of up to £1,000 (US$1,300).
England last year had its joint hottest summer on record, tied with 2018, according to the country’s meteorological agency.
Temperatures climbed to more than 40 degrees Celsius in some part of the country – a record.
Areas of England are already seeing plummeting levels in reservoirs due to prolonged dry spells.
In Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has put every region on a water scarcity alert, with warnings of significant shortages in a third of the country by the end of the month.
“Our rivers and lochs are under immense stress and it’s clear further action will be needed to protect them,” said SEPA’s head of water planning Nathan Critchlow-Watton.
Source: CNA
