Council leader 'really disappointed' by hosepipe ban

Swindon Borough Council leader Jim Robbins accused Thames Water of prioritising payments to shareholders

The leader of a council affected by a hosepipe ban has said "people are tired of the same old excuses" from the water company.

Thames Water introduced the hosepipe ban for customers in north Wiltshire, east Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire on Tuesday.

Jim Robbins, who leads Swindon Borough Council, said he was "really disappointed" by the ban, adding that the company had prioritised pay-outs to shareholders over "making sure the water supply for customers is there where it needs to be".

Thames Water said the restriction was due to a lack of rain and increasing demand and added leakage in the network was at its "lowest ever level".

While the company did not respond directly to Mr Robbins' comments, it added that it was using "innovative technology" to fix leaks faster, with 650 leaks fixed each week.

Customers however now face a fine of up to £1,000 if they are found to use of a hosepipe for activities such as watering the garden, washing the car or filling a paddling pool.

The ban has come into force for residents in parts of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire

Thames Water has been fined millions of pounds and heavily criticised for a series of leaks and discharges.

Mr Robbins, who has been highly critical of the company in the past, said: "I think residents are rightly frustrated that this is an organisation that hasn't made the investment that it needs to over the past 20 years or so since it's been privatised.

"People are tired of the same old excuses... after years of failure and them not doing the hard work to make sure they maintain people's supply and keep our rivers clean.

"It's consistently prioritised taking money out of the business... but there is no evidence they have done the work of making sure that the water supply for customers is there where it needs to be."

'Doing everything we can'

The hosepipe ban was announced last week and came into force at midnight on Tuesday - covering some 1.1 million people.

The temporary restrictions cover areas with postcodes beginning with OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8 and RG9.

A number of other water companies around the country have announced similar hosepipe bans, though none of those are in the West or South West.

Announcing the restrictions, Nevil Muncaster, Thames Water's strategic water resources director said: "I'd like to reassure all our customers that we are doing everything we can to look after our water resources and to protect the environment through this continued warm, dry weather.

"Our engineers are working 24/7 to maintain supply to all our customers and we have more teams out in the field fixing leaks, which often increase during long dry spells because of shifts in the ground that move our pipes.

"We all have a role to play in reducing our water use and customers can help us by saving water around the home and in the garden."