After torrential rains and floods hit many parts of the UK, all water companies have announced lifting of the four month old ban on usage of hosepipe with immediate effect.

South East Water, Sutton and East Surrey Water, Veolia Water Central and Veolia Water Southeast were the final four companies to lift the restrictions. The ban which has been in place since April, has finally ended, following the abnormally heavy rainfall that has resulted in deluge of the UK.

The four companies which issued a joint statement said they were heavily dependent on ground water supplies but these have now recovered sufficiently to enable them to lift the bans.

It may be noted that seven water companies across southern and eastern England had called for the hosepipe bans after two unusually dry winters left some groundwater supplies and rivers as low as in the drought year of 1976.

Last month, Thames Water, Anglian Water and Southern Water all removed the restrictions, after the country saw the wettest June since records have been in place.

“We would ask customers to please continue to use water wisely. While 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”, Mike Pocock, water resources manager at Veolia Water Central, said.

It may be noted that over the weekend, a month of rain fell in just 24 hours with flood-hit communities left counting the costs. The Environment Agency issued more than 110 flood warnings across the country from the South West, where the River Axe burst its banks, to Upminster, in Essex.

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