Thames Water asks Londoners to stop using hosepipes as hot weather causes shortages

Millions of people have been asked to stop using hosepipes to save water, with record-setting temperatures in May gripping much of the UK.

Thames Water has asked people in London and the South East to use a watering can rather than hoses or sprinklers to water their plants amid a surge in demand for water after last week’s heatwave.

The company said that the demand for water increased by up to 50 per cent in some areas.

In a statement on its website, Thames Water said it is “working hard in these extreme weather conditions to keep your water flowing”.

Hot weather in London in May (PA Wire)

It added: “This kind of weather leads to rapid spikes in water use, particularly for outdoor activities like watering gardens, filling paddling pools and using hoses and sprinklers.”

They have asked customers to avoid watering gardens during the day, allowing lawns to dry out as they will recover quickly.

They also suggested washing cars with a bucket instead of a hose, and to reuse water where possible, such as using paddling pool water to water plants.

Thames Water staff are also addressing hundreds of leaks, it said, with the risk of water leaks increasing as hot, dry ground causes underground pipes to shift and crack.

A company spokesperson said: “This spring has been very dry so far and it is vital that we all play our part and use water wisely through periods of dry weather.

The heatwave at the end of May helped push the average mean temperature for spring in England and Wales to its highest level since records began (PA Wire)

Contractors for South East Water distribute bottled water to customers in their cars at a water collection point in Whitstable (Getty Images)

“We are constantly monitoring reservoir levels, groundwater levels, and river flows.

“We all have a role to play when it comes to saving water and we encourage everybody to play their part in conversing resources where possible.”

South East Water has also urged customers to use water for essential purposes only, after thousands of households in Kent were without water over the weekend.

South East Water’s incident manager Steve Benton said: “Although our network is recovering, levels of drinking water in our storage tanks are still low and we are asking customers to use water for essential purposes only - drinking, cooking and hygiene.”

The company has restored supplies to 15,500 properties but said 500 were still without water due to drinking water storage tanks reaching “ a critical level”.