Overview
- Thames Water confirmed Friday that the regional hosepipe ban will remain in force for households across the Thames Valley and Reading.
- The company says the region received just 194mm of rain from March to September, far below the long-term average, leaving reservoirs and groundwater depleted.
- Reservoir storage is still reduced, with Farmoor Reservoir reported at about 76% full and London reservoirs around 56% full, according to the latest updates.
- Thames Water’s head of water resources warned that recent storms and rain have helped only partly and that the short-term forecast looks relatively dry, so months of sustained rain are needed before restrictions can be lifted.
- Late-October storms also caused sewage discharges in parts of Oxfordshire, highlighting the strain on rivers and the wider environment and reinforcing Thames Water’s call for continued cuts to non-essential water use.