From 00:01 on Friday 26 August, Jersey Water are bringing in a Hosepipe Ban (also known as a Temporary Use Ban) for all domestic customers. Commercial and business customers are excluded from the restrictions, however the Company requests that when water is used for commercial purposes it is used sparingly and carefully.
Although the formal restrictions officially start on Friday 26 August, Jersey Water is asking Islanders to save water where they can now, whether using a hosepipe or not. The decision to introduce a Temporary Use Ban is considered a prudent and precautionary move at this stage of what has been an exceptionally dry summer. The ban is expected to be in place for up to four months or less if water resources allow.
Helier Smith Chief Executive at Jersey Water said “During the recent dry and hot weather the demand for water has been higher than normal, on the hottest days peaking at up to 24 million litres. Our desalination plant has been operational since 1 August producing approximately 10.8 million litres per day to meet half that demand. Although there have been some patchy showers over the last week, rainfall this year has been exceptionally low since January. The hot dry weather has meant that reservoir levels which currently stand at 68% full are some 10.5% lower than normal for this time of year. Reducing our water consumption through the introduction of these temporary restrictions will help reservoirs recover more quickly.
“Customers have been great at saving water where they can so far. But it’s important we continue to all do our bit to help protect our water resources over the coming months. The purpose of the restrictions are to reduce demand for water from discretionary activities (for example garden watering or car washing) and to preserve stocks for the autumn and winter in the event that the drier weather continues for an extended period delaying the natural recharge of ground water, streams and reservoirs.”
The full details of restrictions can be found on Jersey Water’s website www.jerseywater.je/hosepipe-ban as well as lots of water-saving tips for around the home.