Thames Water

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Thames Water is the biggest water company in England, supplying much of London and the surrounding counties.

Population supplied: 8m

Daily supply: 2,822m litres

Mains pipe: 31,416 km

Leakage: 895m litres/day (253 litres/property/day)

Supply source: 83% surface, 17% ground

RESTRICTION LEVEL

Hosepipe ban introduced on 3 April 2006 and lifted on 18 January 2007.

Thames Water announced on 9 June 2006 that it would apply for a drought order after previously postponing the application.

Despite the continuation of the drought the company eventually decided to withdraw its application before the order was approved.

What different restriction levels mean

Thames Water to apply for drought order

Thames Water misses leak target

Companies lift hosepipe bans

MORE INFORMATION

The Thames Water region experienced below-average water levels in every month except one between the start of November 2004 and August 2006.

Low rainfall in two successive winters meant the rivers and aquifers from which the company draws its supply were substantially depleted.

But successive months of above-average rainfall since September 2006 have replenished stocks and enabled the company to lift its hosepipe restrictions.

The majority (80-90%) of London's water supply comes from two surface water sources, the River Thames and the River Lee.

During the late summer months the river flows are boosted by groundwater from underlying aquifers.

Outside London, most (70%) of the water supplied by the company comes from groundwater sources.

Thames Water also has an underground reservoir in north London. Known as the "Droughtbuster" it is artificially recharged with water during the winter in order to serve nearly a million Londoners in times of drought.

In September 2006, Thames announced plans to build a new reservoir near Abingdon in Oxfordshire. If built it would hold 150 billion litres of water.

LEAKS

Water regulator Ofwat said Thames Water's failure to meet leakage reduction targets was unacceptable. The company lost 894m litres per day to leaks, when the 2005-2006 target set by Ofwat was 860m litres.

And on 4 July 2006 it imposed a legally binding agreement on Thames to spend an extra £150m - on top of its existing spending plans - on leak repairs by 2010.

Thames faces fines if it fails to meet a new, less restrictive leakage target imposed by Ofwat for 2006-7.

Thames Water, which announced a 31% rise in pre-tax profits to £346.5m, said it had met leakage reduction targets outside London.

CONTACT DETAILS

For enquiries about the drought:
Thames Water Utilities Ltd
PO Box 3073
Swindon
SN38 8WY

Telephone: [phone]

For other enquiries:
Thames Water Utilities Ltd
PO Box 436
Swindon
SN38 1TU

Telephone: [phone]