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From August 24, a number of measures will apply to limit water use in London. Thames Water, the UK’s largest water company, made the announcement on Wednesday. These measures are a result of the current drought.
Source: Belga
The measures will apply in the capital and Oxford region, in the west of the country. Around 15 million people are not allowed to water their gardens, fill their swimming pools or wash their vehicles and windows with garden hoses, says Thames Water.
This is the first time such measures have been implemented in London in ten years, but they are not extravagant. In recent months, drought has turned parks in the capital into dry land.
Thames Water explained that water levels in reservoirs and rivers were much lower than usual following a very dry July and below average rainfall over the past 10 to 12 months. The operator has been criticized for thousands of water leaks, but said dozens of crews are working to deal with 1,100 leaks each week.
Thirty million people
A number of water companies have already announced similar bans, particularly in south but also north-east Yorkshire. The first measures have come into effect from August 5. In total, around 30 million people will have to comply with the restrictions by the end of next week.
