The final four water companies in England who were imposing a hosepipe ban have finally lifted it. South East Water, Sutton and East Surrey Water, Veolia Water Central and Veolia Water Southeast imposed the restrictions in April, along with several other companies, as many parts of the country were on the brink of drought conditions.
It is perhaps unsurprising that the ban has now ended. April was the wettest on record and June saw twice the normal average amount of rainfall. Thanks to this and the unusual and perhaps abnormal rainfall much of the country has received in the last few weeks, groundwater supplies have recovered.
However, Mike Pocock, water resources manager at Veolia Water Central, has urged customers to continue to use their water wisely. He said, "While [the lifting of the hosepipe ban is] most welcome, this recovery in the aquifers does not remove the underlying problems caused by the drought and we are continuing to plan for the possibility of a third dry winter."
