Water firm may lift hosepipe ban

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Thames Water has said it is considering lifting its nine-month hosepipe and sprinkler ban.

The UK's largest water firm said there is a "growing prospect" that it will come to an end.

The ban, the first in 15 years, was introduced in April last year amid concerns over record lows in rainfall.

But the BBC's Weather Centre said that although there had been more rain than average recently, it was not enough to resolve the water shortage problems.

A spokesman for Thames Water, which provides water to eight million customers across London and the south-east of England, said: "The more it rains, the closer we get to lifting the ban.

"We have to look at how quickly - and to what extent - the surface water sinks down into the underground aquifers. We want to make absolutely sure that we are in a safe position for next spring and summer.

"There are no official plans as yet but it's looking promising."

'More rain needed'

But BBC weather forecaster Jay Wynne said it was too early for decisions to be made on ending the ban.

"We have had more rain than average, but we need months and months above average rainfall to get us back to anywhere near the confidence to have a full supply," he said.

"There still could well be problems," he added.

Earlier this month, the Environment Agency said reservoir levels in south east England were in a "better position than this time last year".

And Southern Water said the main reservoirs in the south east "look good" compared to last February.

HOSEPIPE BAN COMPANIES Southern Water Sutton and East Surrey Water Mid Kent Water Thames Water Three Valleys Water South East Water Cholderton and District Water

Bewl Water, on the Kent-Sussex border, is at 84% capacity but was previously at 37%. Darwell Reservoir, in East Sussex, is at 87% - previously 68%.

As a result, Southern Water, which covers Kent, East and West Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, has also said it is considering removing its hosepipe ban.

Seven water companies currently have hosepipe bans in force in the south east of the country, where drought conditions have been in place since October 2004.

Since November 2004, rainfall below the long-term average for 1961 to 1990 has been recorded in 18 out of 24 months in southern England, although the last three months have been well above average.