No timeframe for hosepipe ban end, says water company

The Thames Water hosepipe ban effects residents in parts of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire

A water company has said it can't say when a hosepipe ban will come to an end because it is "generally waiting for rain".

Thames Water announced a ban last week which has come into effect for customers with postcodes beginning with OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8 and RG9.

It follows bans from Yorkshire Water, Southern Water and South East Water and affects almost 1.1 million people in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire.

Andrew Tucker, demand reduction manager at Thames Water, said he appreciates how frustrating it is when water use is restricted and there are many leaks at the same time, but said the company is "doing everything they can to deal with it".

The unusual dry spell and heatwaves over the past few months triggered the ban and some residents and businesses in Berkshire have told the BBC it is "restrictive and difficult".

Janet Wood said the hosepipe ban is very "frustrating"

Professional gardener Janet Wood said: "It is difficult because sometimes we only go to our customers' gardens once a week, sometime fortnightly.

"If they aren't watering then that makes it very difficult for us, because everything is dying by the time we visit again.

"It can be very depressing to see."

Ms Wood explained that if gardeners are "lucky" then "our customers have invested in a drip system" - which are very small hoses that drip water gradually into the flower beds.

She said: "These are very economical, effective and not part of the hosepipe ban.

"Otherwise, we have to hope our customers are using a watering can and are giving every plant a good dose of water, at least twice a week."

"The situation is very frustrating," she added.

"We need to be looking at drought-proof plants that can withstand longer periods without water and finding ways to be economical with water because it is something we are going to have to deal with more in the future."

Kevin Browne said Thames Water has been "very ambiguous" with its instructions

Kevin Browne, vice-chairman and honorary treasurer of Henley-on-Thames Bowling Club, said the ban means the club is "restricted" even though they are a sports club.

He added that Thames Water has been "very ambiguous" with its instructions.

He explained that the club has a "delightful green lawn" which looks healthy because there has been "plenty of rain in the last few days".

"If we have the weather we have had over the last three months then it will give us lots of problems and could be restrictive," he added.

"We have a number of areas in the lawn where it goes really brown, particularly where our sprinklers don't cover the lawn properly, but we can water those patches with the watering can."

He said the club has been told by Thames Water that "if things really get dire then they would be sympathetic to us using our sprinklers".

And Mr Browne is hopeful the club won't be badly impacted.

"With the weather the way it is now we are not going to be affected in any major way whatsoever," he said.