2022 brought some extremely high temperatures and with it a significant increase in water demand around the country. This was within the context of more general water stress, targets for abstraction reduction and rising global temperatures, meaning water companies were forced to introduce measures to reduce customer demand. These measures were largely aimed at household customers through the application of Temporary Use Bans (TUBS), traditionally referred to as “hose pipe bans”.
This was the first time since the non-household market opened in 2017 that multiple wholesalers were rolling out preventative measures and there was industry acceptance of the need for joined up communication to prevent confusion and to make sure the measures had the desired impact.
A cross-industry forum was developed to help reshape the existing National Drought Code of Practice, feeding in lessons learned and seeking to better reflect the changed nature of the water market post 2017.
There are warnings of further restrictions this year, as South West Water has extended their Temporary Use Ban on 25 April 2023 to cover further areas, and this is a theme we can expect to continue to see as average temperatures rise in coming years. The picture can vary significantly from area to area and the market operator, MOSL, has launched a new national map on their portal showing when drought restrictions are applied and to which postcode areas.
Wave will continue to actively participate in this industry group and inform our customers of any risk of restrictions. We'll continue to encourage and support efficient use of water and quickly respond to leaks to help prevent water wastage.
