17 March 2006
Other water companies are set to follow Thames and take emergency conservation measures as anxiety grows over the effects of drought in England.
Southern Water, Mid Kent & Sutton and East Surrey are expected to ask the government to agree to 'non-essential use drought orders' which would restrict the use of water for gardens and sports grounds.
Last week, Thames, the country's biggest water supplier, imposed a hosepipe ban from next month – which, however, only applies to gardens, plants and car-washing by residents.
Thames Water chief executive Jeremy Pelczer said the decision had not been taken lightly. 'The drought across the Southeast has now gone on for so long that we have to be prudent and introduce measures that will make best use of limited supplies,' he said.
The drought has raised new concerns about the extent of water leakages.
Dame Yve Buckland, chair of the Consumer Council for Water, said: 'In the case of Thames, we are concerned about leakage. While these hosepipe bans are the result of the current drought and not caused by leakage, the company has a poor track record on containing leaks.
'The company needs to improve its current performance if consumers are going to buy into its guidance.'
The concern follows the damning report from regulator Ofwat on Severn Trent Water, which was ordered to pay £42m back to customers after being found to have 'regulatory data that was either deliberately miscalculated or poorly supported'.
The company is being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office over allegations that its leakage data had been falsified. Philip Fletcher, director-general of water services, said the firm would face further penalties when that investigation had been completed.
PFmar2006
