Up to now the country has had had adequate water stocks in both ground water and rivers with the reservoirs at normal levels. This position has now changed in the last two weeks with a rainfall in June that is the fourth lowest since 1910 and the fourth hottest June since 1910. Most of the country is now at a soil moisture deficient (SMD) of 100mm, much higher than normal for the time of year.
The long-term prospects for rain are not encouraging. Britain is heading into a period of unsettled weather for the next two weeks when they may experience heavy rain and thunderstorms but after that it is projected that they will go back to a dry August and September. It is not expected the heavy downpours will have a major impact on water reserves, as the water will not percolate through the soil and much is lost into the sea.
The North West of England will be subject to a Temporary User Ban (TUB) or hose pipe ban from the 5th August 2018. Northern Ireland already has a TUB in place.
Any business relying entirely on a public water supply for irrigation will be exempt from a ban, e.g. garden centres and nurseries on the mains.
The position for landscapers working on domestic contracts will be clarified as soon as possible, although anyone using trickle irrigation with a timer and pressure relief valve is exempt from the ban.
Many growers who have a river or ground water abstraction are experiencing “Hands Off Flow” (HoF) conditions with restrictions on either when or how much can be abstracted from water sources.