Head Office Press Office - 1-Sep-2006 - The Environment Agency supports Thames Water's decision at this time to withdraw its application to Defra for a drought order for London. However, we expect Thames Water to keep this under constant review and to reapply if the rain doesn't come.

The application for a drought order to the Minister is to authorise further restrictions. Current hosepipe bans are still in place.

Robert Runcie, the Environment Agency’s Thames Regional Director, said: "We think Thames Water has made the right decision at this time. The drought isn't over - but the close to average rainfall in July and August and people saving water has left London’s water supply in a far better position.

"However, the drought is still serious. Groundwater reserves remain well below normal across much of the Thames Valley following the last two dry winters. If we have a dry autumn and winter we could be in a difficult position again next year and Thames Water may need to reapply.

"We congratulate the public in reducing their water use - there has been a decrease of about 10% in Thames region - but we all need to carry on saving water to help reduce the risk to water supplies and the environment."

In its latest national Drought Prospects Report released today, the Environment Agency called on all water companies in the south east of England to continue to monitor the situation closely and:

Maintain restrictions on water use until resources have recovered fully;
Continue to ask people to save water this summer and autumn;
Explain to customers that the drought is not over yet;
Keep under active review the need to implement additional restrictions on water use allowed by drought orders - if the rest of the summer and autumn are dry, these may still prove necessary in some places;
Make sure that leakage is kept under control through the autumn and the winter;

Review the need for drought permits to allow additional abstraction of water to fill reservoirs this winter, and prepare applications in good time.

The report shows the picture for public water supply in the south east has improved and standpipes or rota cuts are now unlikely this year. However, all of the water companies are concerned about the impact of another dry winter.