No hosepipe ban planned for Buckingham and Winslow area says Anglian Water

Anglian Water has spoken about how it plans to keep the area supplied with water this summer, after the Environment Agency declared a drought in Buckinghamshire.

Thames Water, which supplies Aylesbury and the surroundnig area, announced on Friday it was planning to introduce a temporary hosepipe ban in the coming weeks.

But Anglian Water, which supplies the north of the county including Buckingham, Winslow and the Claydons, says it does not envisage any need for a ban.

Speaking on Friday, Anglian Water spokesman Ciaran Nelson said: “Today’s declaration of drought across the region we supply serves to underline the seriousness of the situation.

"But because of the investments we’ve made and the support of our customers, we still do not envisage needing a hosepipe ban in our region this summer.”

Ciaran said the company has spent hundreds of millions of pounds improving resilience over the last decade.

"Schemes like a new water treatment works for Lincoln, massive engineering schemes that mean we can move water all the way from Rutland to Milton Keynes, and the creation of additional back-up supplies for Norwich, have all helped,” he said.

“Schemes like this mean we’ve been able to keep our reservoirs topped up to around 80 per cent, and to reduce the pressure on our underground aquifers. which are about average or just below for the time of year. Just five per cent of the water we use comes directly from rivers.

“The resilience we’ve created, combined with the best leakage record in the industry and 90 per cent of our customers having meters, means we’re able to manage drawn-out periods of intense hot weather.

"We can’t ‘make more water’, so we must do all we can to look after what we have.”

But that doesn’t mean people can be reckless with water, he pointed out.

"The less we and our customers use, the more can be left in the environment,” he said.

“That’s why, earlier this year, we reduced the water we take from the River Nene so farmers and nature reserves downstream could use more.

"It’s why we have some boreholes turned on right now, pumping water straight into critical rivers rather than putting them into drinking water supply.

"And it’s why we’re talking to the National Farmers Union (NFU) to look for more ways we can help.”

Ciaran added: “We prepare detailed drought plans for scenarios just like this.

"If we reach the point of needing a hosepipe ban, we won’t hesitate to introduce one. But we’re not at that point right now.

“We should expect more summers like this in the future. That’s why we’re building a 400km, half-metre-wide pipe to bring water from the north of our region down to the dry south and east. It’s also why we’re planning for two new reservoirs, one in Lincolnshire and one in the Fens.

“I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to our customers for helping us make the East of England one of the most water efficient parts of the country. The job isn’t done, but with the help of our customers and the team at Anglian Water, we’re making good progress.”