Fifth water firm bans hosepipes

Sutton and East Surrey Water supplies 648,000 customers

Another water company in the drought-hit South East is to introduce a hosepipe ban to try to avoid further restrictions in the summer.

Folkestone and Dover Water, which is banning hosepipes from 2 April, is the fifth company to bring in the measure.

"We are asking our customers to cut back on non-essential use of water," said managing director David Walton.

Ten days ago, the Kent firm was granted permission by the government to force its customers to install water meters.

Folkestone and Dover successfully applied for "water scarcity status" to impose meters on the 65,000 households it serves.

Conserving the water we have is a priority David Walton

The South East has had two consecutive winters with below-average rainfall.

The period between November 2004 and January 2006 was the driest for over 80 years, surpassing even the notable drought of 1974-76.

Folkestone and Dover last imposed a hosepipe ban in 1996.

The company cannot draw on surface water in rivers or reservoirs and all water is taken from underground chalk and gravel aquifers.

Mr Walton said cutting water use now would improve the prospects for avoiding further restrictions.

The Environment Agency has warned these might include standpipes or rota cuts.

Other measures might include banning car washes and the watering of parks and sports grounds.

"We have had some recent rain, which has helped, but over the autumn to early spring we have had well below average rainfall and we may face a dry and perhaps hot summer," said Mr Walton.

"Conserving the water we have is a priority."